Emma Hayes reveals she spoke to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after deleting her social media accounts... and worries 'nastiness' in women's football is getting too similar to the men's game

Emma Hayes revealed she’d spoken to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after deleting her social media last week as the Chelsea boss slammed the ‘ridiculous expectations’ on modern day managers.

Hayes, who has been regularly active on social media this season, took down her Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter, accounts after her side were beaten by Liverpool.

Hayes was asked about the pressures that come with her role, both in football and more widely in the women’s game, and whether it had played a role in deleting her profiles this week.

The 47-year-old said there is a level of ‘nastiness’ and ‘trolling’ creeping into the women’s game and warned it risks replicating the negative side of men’s football.

‘I had a chat with Jurgen Klopp about it this week,’ Hayes said in response.

‘I think it’s ridiculous what everybody expects of a football manager. We’re human beings. We have lives. This isn’t about anything else than my opinion, getting you lot paid for tomorrow.

‘Because of that, maybe we’ve lost a little bit of sight around, I don’t know, the things that I think become important. Everybody’s under pressure, everybody’s got to get headlines. Everybody’s got to grab content. I think for football managers we’re in an impossible position.

‘Cause every day, we’re in a place where, no matter what we say, it will be turned into something that gets you guys paid and at the same time, puts us in a position where we’re just pieces of meat.

‘I won’t miss it, for sure. Of course I have to do press and media and there’s lots of amazing things that come with it.

‘What I’ve learned is, the volume of abuse you have to tolerate is unacceptable and the dangers of where the women’s game is going is that, and this by the way is how the players feel too, the volume of trolling and the volume of nastiness that is coming in our game.

‘That’s why I say, it’s getting like the men’s game. We might have to accept that but guess what will happen? There will be an even bigger distance between everything we do with you guys and for me, that’s the sad thing that’s leaving the game.’

Hayes also warned that the women’s game risks losing more female managers after Aston Villa boss Carla Ward announced she would be stepping down from her role at the end of the season to spend more time with her family.

‘I don’t wish it [management] on anyone for the most part,’ Hayes said.

‘The pressures, the expectations are through the roof. I think she [Ward] doesn't have the media engagements I have, so she gets away lightly there. But, I think a future for women in coaching is to have co-head coaches. Women coaching team, maybe two mums, I don’t know a Rachel Yankey and a Jayne Ludlow to give you good examples. I think the only way you’re going to keep women in the game is to create situations that are different and they do it well in America. There’s often husband-wife teams, or co-head coaches for this reason. I think it’s important. But I’m not sure anyone really cares to be quite frank. I think no one deep down really cares whether there’s going to be women coaching at the top.

‘I could see it completely disappearing. One hundred percent. But I think we have to reflect on that as a whole. Because I think the women’s game is going in exactly the same direction as the men’s game. There is of course positive areas but I think there’s a lot of negatives to it too.’