Friday, October 1, 2021 at 2:31 PM• Last update: 14:31

English coach Paul Riley has been sacked with immediate effect by the American women’s soccer club North Carolina Courage. The trainer is accused of sexual abuse by two former football players. This was the reason for the club to evict him immediately. The club’s decision followed an investigative report by The Athletic which was published Thursday morning.

The Athletic revealed that Sinead Farrelly (31) and Meleana Shim (30) were victims of Riley’s abuse. According to the pair, the sexual harassment lasted more than ten years. The English coach has denied all accusations against him in a response to the magazine. He admitted that he sometimes met the players from the selection in a bar and paid for their drinks there. Farrelly described how a married Riley forced her to have sex in his hotel room. “I felt claimed. That word describes it perfectly for me, because he focused on me. He claimed me; that’s how his touch felt. I remember thinking, ‘Does anyone else see this?’ I felt under his control.”

The club did not go along with the trainer’s words and decided to immediately dismiss him on Thursday afternoon. Players and staff were encouraged to come forward if they experienced inappropriate behavior. “We support the players who have come forward so bravely with their story,” the NWSL professional club said on its website. Chair Lisa Baird has confirmed that she has referred the allegations to the US Center for Safe Sports for investigation. “A safe working environment is a top priority for the competition.”

In an initial response, the American Football Federation said it found the abuse stories “repulsive and unacceptable”. Abuse in the sports world is more common in the United States. For example, multiple Olympic and world champion Simone Biles testified before the US Senate in September about the years of sexual abuse of more than 250 gymnasts by Larry Nassar. The former doctor of the American gymnastics team was sentenced in 2017 to 175 years in prison for the abuse of hundreds of gymnasts.