During a radio phone-in following France's 1-0 defeat to Spain in Tuesday's 2014 World Cup qualifier,
Bernard Lacombe, who scored over 100 goals for Lyon between 1969 and
1978 before returning to coach the team in 1996, advise a woman caller
Sonia that her place was in the kitchen rather than airing her opinions
on football.
"I don't talk about
football with women," said Lacombe on the RMC radio station. "It's my
character, that's my way. They should look after their pots and pans,
that would be better."
Sonia had called the
station to criticize France striker Karim Benzema, a Real Madrid star
who made his name at Lyon, for his performance against Spain. He last
scored for France in June 2012.
But Lacombe was quickly
forced to reconsider his view of women and their right to engage in a
football debate as he issued an apology via Lyon's website, explaining
he had only meant to defend Benzema.
"I'm sorry if my remarks
yesterday on RMC have hurt women and in particular sportswomen and
female footballers," read the statement on Lyon's website.
"My only intention was to
respond with a quip to the umpteenth criticism of Karim Benzema about
his skills that struck me as particularly gratuitous and unacceptable.
"I would like to convey
to Sonia and her partners the respect I hold for them and my admiration
for their skills as footballers and for their outstanding performances."
Benzema has failed to
score in any of France's five qualifying matches and hasn't found the
net for Les Bleus since a friendly win over Estonia eight months ago.
"I want to say that I
would have reacted as vehemently if the criticism of Karim Benzema had
come from a man, obviously with different words but certainly as
colorful," continued Lacombe.
"I do not want to attack anyone, but simply to defend a player who does not deserve such treatment."
Lacombe now serves as an
unofficial "special adviser" Lyon to club president Jean-Michel Aulas
and his jibe is acutely embarrassing for the French club given its
women's team have dominated European football in recent years
On Sunday, Lyon's
women's team underlined their status as the finest in Europe with an
11-0 demolition of Soyaux in the Coupe de France.
Patrice Lair's team have
won the European Champions League in each of the last two season in
addition to collecting 10 French league titles.
This is not the first time a senior football figure has uttered sexist remarks.
FIFA president Sepp
Blatter suggested female players should play in tighter shorts, similar
to the ones worn by volleyball players.
credit- cnn.com
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