Jose Mourinho Blasted for Racism Stance by FIFA Vice-President Jeffrey Webb

Jose Mourinho's claim that "there is no racism in football" has been branded "out of touch" by FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb.

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, recently claimed "there is a hidden racism which holds clubs back" from appointing black or ethnic managers, as reported by The Guardian.

Just two of England's 92 professional clubs currently have a non-white manager—Chris Powell at Huddersfield Town and Keith Curle at Carlisle United—but Mourinho believes credentials outweigh colour.

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"There is no racism in football," said the Portuguese boss, per The Guardian. "If you are good, you are good. If you are good, you get the job."

Webb appears surprised with this response and decided to focus on the career of Eddie Newton—renowned No. 2 and Champions League winner under Roberto Di Matteo at Chelsea—who hasn't come close to finding another similar role since the Italian's dismissal in 2012. Webb's response to Mourinho was reported by Paul Brown of the Daily Star:

"

Mourinho said that? Incredible. I think that was unwise. I think it's out of touch.

I don't think Eddie Newton would agree with what Mourinho said. You have a coach who won the Champions League doing well at a club. He can't even get an interview. We are not talking about a job. An interview. That is not hidden. That is the reality that we face.

"

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Webb continued by asking, "How many [black or ethnic] board members and executives [are] in the FA and FIFA? It is not hidden." He notes that "it is hidden from a discussion point of view" and that football has a "huge fight" to put things right.

One method of combating the lack of black and ethnic manages is by introducing an NFL-styled "Rooney Rule." This obliges clubs to include ethnic minority candidates on the shortlist for jobs and is something Webb believes American owners can help gain momentum. Sky Sports reports Webb asking, "If it's good there, why wouldn't it be good here?"

Only four black managers have ever worked in the Premier League. Former Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit was the first, followed by Fulham's Jean Tigana and the first black Englishman to manage in the division, Paul Ince. Chris Hughton was recently sacked by soon-to-be-relegated Norwich, meaning there are currently no ethnic managers at the top level.

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Curle hasn't "seen anything to suggest [the Rooney Rule] would work in English football," as reported by Louise Taylor of The Guardian. He believes black and ethnic managers will be placed on shortlists for jobs they are still unlikely to receive, saying their presence will simply "tick a box" without any major action being taken.

It is certainly a valid point, as the Rooney Rule still wouldn't guarantee equal opportunities for all. If 10 white candidates are chosen and one non-white selection is included to satisfy the rules, the situation would be emphasised.

The Football Association is perhaps powerless to enforce anything stronger, however, as it's impossible to say a certain number of English-based managers must be ethnic.

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It is not about filling a quota and strolling home content that a supposed problem has gone away; it is about providing each candidate with the same opportunities and basing the result on credentials. While Mourinho's assertion that the best man for the job will land each position is correct in principle, the continuous overlooking of ethnic managers suggests this isn't necessarily true.

The Rooney Rule would certainly help broaden horizons, but there's a shift in attitude that needs to take place. Until this happens, those who agree with Mourinho's claim are likely to continue sweeping suggestions of racism in football under the rug. Such a sensitive subject is easy to dismiss, but will take the support of prominent individuals to overcome.