The journalist who Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers called a “good girl”, sparking complaints of sexism, has said she does not believe he meant to offend.
During a BBC Sportsound radio interview following Celtic’s 3-1 win against Motherwell on Sunday, Rodgers was heard saying “good girl” following a line of questioning from the broadcaster’s reporter Jane Lewis.
Brendan Rodgers Good Girl Interview. pic.twitter.com/zC8uDNEzdw
— Colin Sutherland (@ScotlandColin) February 26, 2024
Ms Lewis said on Tuesday: “Clearly, the interview on Sunday has become a talking point. I don’t believe there was any offence meant by Brendan Rodgers – and for my part, there was none taken.”
Speakig this afternoon, the Celtic manager said he was “saddened” by the reaction and revealed he had spoken to Ms Lewis.
“Sadly for me, in society now we are either looking to offend or find something that is offensive to try and pin on to people,” the Celtic manager said.
“I find it saddening as much as anything because one, I am not that type of person, I can never be that, it’s not how I’m built. But also it saddened me for society now because people are just trying to find ways to somehow bring you down if they can. It’s not nice.”
The former Liverpool manager added: “I have spoken to Jane. She wasn’t offended. We had a laugh about it, she will continue to ask me awkward questions, I’m sure.
“But I see her every week and we have good relations, like I have with most people in my life, whether that’s professional or social.”
The Scottish Feminist Network and For Women Scotland have urged Rodgers to explain the comment, which has been labelled as “casual sexism”.
On the Sunday programme, Ms Lewis asked the Celtic boss to elaborate on the Cinch Premiership title race after he said: “The story has already been written about this group. But we will write our own story.”
She said: “Can you give us a bit more – you don’t want to give us a bit more insight into that and what you mean?”
He replied: “No, no, you know exactly what I mean,” but the journalist then said: “I’m actually not sure exactly what you mean.”
He then appeared to wrap up the interview by saying: “Done, good girl, well done.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Feminist Network said: “Rodgers’s throwaway comment encourages other football fans to behave in a similar way, demeaning women they work with or engage with.
“It has to stop.
“Jane Lewis was just doing her job, trying to extract an explanation from Brendan Rodgers on his cryptic comment.
“That the go-to attitude of a manager of a winning team was condescension is quite illuminating but really very depressing in 2024. We thought dinosaurs were extinct.”
A spokeswoman at For Women Scotland said: “It’s depressing that casual sexism is still embedded in sport.
“Women’s achievements are underrated and dismissed, and their professional status undermined. Rodgers owes the reporter an apology.”
