FA and former England Women’s boss Mark Sampson reach settlement over sacking

To optimise for archiving, the original image and related documents associated with this article have been removed.

The FA have reached a settlement with former England women’s manager Mark Sampson after he sued for unfair dismissal following his sacking in 2017.

Sampson was dismissed by The FA over a safeguarding investigation after signs emerged of “improper and unacceptable” behaviour with female players in his previous role as manager at Bristol Academy.

In March 2018, it was revealed Sampson was being investigated by Uefa before his sacking for brandishing a metal pole while verbally abusing an official after England's defeat by the Netherlands in the 2017 European Championship semi-finals.

The 36 year-old had also previously been the subject of an investigation concerning allegations of bullying and racial discrimination made by former England International Eniola Aluko and Drew Spence.

Sampson responded by bringing an unfair dismissal case against the FA, and Wembley officials confirmed yesterday that a confidential settlement had been reached to bring the dispute around the termination of his employment to an agreed close.

You may also like

View All

Pinned Article

Sport Resolutions Annual Conference 2026: Early Bird Tickets Now on Sale

Early Bird tickets for the Sport Resolutions 11th Annual Conference are now available. Join leading sport and legal professionals in London on 7 May 2026 for a full day of discussion, insight, and networking

Read More

Two separate surveys reveal serious sexual safety risks for women in UK sport and high bullying rates among female coaches

Two recent surveys highlight ongoing risks for women in UK sport. In elite sport, 88% of respondents reported experiencing sexual misconduct, with women with disabilities disproportionately affected. Among coaches, women face higher rates of bullying, harassment, and aggression than men, particularly in high-performance settings

Read More

Morocco to take legal action following the Africa Cup of Nations final

Morocco will take legal action following the Africa Cup of Nations final on 18 January in Rabat, Morocco, where opponents Senegal left the pitch to protest a penalty awarded against them following a VAR review, but then returned to win the match 1-0 during extra time

Read More