SUMMARY
- Joey Barton ignited controversy with "sexist" comments targeting women involved in soccer
- Barton caused controversy by commenting on women players being rated higher than men.
Former soccer player Joey Barton has recently ignited controversy with comments targeting women involved in the sport, specifically female commentators and pundits. These comments raise important questions about gender equality and representation in soccer.
Barton’s comments were met with swift and widespread condemnation. Fans, players, pundits, and organizations alike denounced his remarks, highlighting their sexist and discriminatory nature. Many pointed out the lack of merit in his claims, emphasizing the expertise and qualifications of the women he targeted.
Joey Barton slams EA Sports for having women rated higher than men
Continuing his previous comments, Joey Barton recently came up against women yet again. But this time around, he not only went against women he slammed EA Sports as well. In 2023, EAFC 24 released a new format in the Ultimate Team wherein the player can play with both men and women on the same team.
Should men and women be rated the same on FIFA, or is that distorting reality? @Joey7Barton pic.twitter.com/wqHcgSxWfz
— Common Sense with Joey Barton (@Common_SensePod) February 27, 2024
Looking at this scenario, Joey Barton said on a podcast, “I don’t play the Ultimate Team, my lad plays the Ultimate Team. There are women players rated the same as men. The top players!” Before adding a comparison in his statement he said, “The thing for me is they’re distorting reality.”
Adding the comparison he said, “Aaron Collins for instance who’s at Bolton Wanderers, he is rated at 62. But Beth Mead who plays at Arsenal is rated at 84!” Pushing his point he said, “In real life, Beth Mead should be rated 14 on the card. They’re distorting reality.”
Looking at such statements made by the former Manchester City midfielder, several media outlets have gone against him. Beth Mead is an English soccer player. She plays as a forward for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League, and for the England national team. She holds records for most assists and second-most goal contributions in the WSL.
Beth Mead won Player of the Tournament and Top Goalscorer at Women’s Euro 2022.
Of course she scored twice for Arsenal tonight ❤️ pic.twitter.com/NeWCvgV39u
— GOAL (@goal) September 16, 2022
She’s also the first player to achieve a combined total of 100 goals and assists in the WSL. At UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, she won the Golden Boot, Player of the Tournament, and top assist provider awards, leading England to their first major tournament victory. She was the first women’s soccer player to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Fans react by showing Joey Barton how unrealistic EAFC 24 is
Joey Barton claims EAFC to be unrealistic in terms of both male and female players playing together. Fans took this moment to fame as they went on to show how unrealistic EAFC 24 is. Fans took to social media platforms like X and Instagram, expressing their disapproval through the creation and sharing of humorous memes.
While one fan went on to say, “AND PELE IS THROUGH ON GOAL HERE!” With this statement, the fan went on to say, that EAFC also has players who are not living anymore. So to have women players have the same ratings is not even that big of a task.
I can play a dead Pele alongside Peter Crouch with Petr Čech as the holding midfielder if I wanted to but Joey Barton thinks women are the ‘distorting reality’ part of FIFA https://t.co/c93rK6Bx5Z
— george (@StokeyyG2) February 28, 2024
Another fan added, “I can play a dead Pele alongside Peter Crouch with Petr Čech as the holding midfielder if I wanted to but Joey Barton thinks women are the ‘distorting reality’ part of FIFA.” Claiming it’s just a game not that deep to have fun moments while playing with your friends.
Fans have made comments suggesting that having women in the game is not a significant issue. They point out that the game already includes several unrealistic elements. EA Sports aims to cater to fans who enjoy playing the game and continually enhance it with new features to differentiate themselves from their competitors.