Thursday 19 October 2017 09:03, UK
Eniola Aluko has accused the FA of "bordering on blackmail" during an intense parliamentary hearing into the governing body's conduct.
England international Aluko used the description while reflecting on what she claims was a request by the FA to issue a statement that the body was not institutionally racist.
FA chief executive Martin Glenn subsequently denied they made such a request on a day in which his institution apologised to Aluko and Drew Spence for being subjected to discriminatory remarks by former England Women's head coach Mark Sampson.
Independent barrister Katharine Newton's final report concluded Sampson made remarks which were "discriminatory on grounds of race" towards Aluko and Spence during their time with the team, and FA chairman Greg Clarke subsequently admitted the FA breached their duty of care to the players.
However, speaking to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Wednesday, both the FA and Aluko confirmed she has not received the second part of an agreed settlement because of a critical tweet they claim is defamatory, but Aluko said they were willing to sign it off if she released the statement.
"I had one meeting with Martin Glenn, and he effectively suggested that if I wrote a favourable statement saying that the FA are not institutionally racist, that they would think about releasing that money. I felt that was bordering on blackmail," she said.
"That was in a meeting and it was subsequently suggested in written correspondence with my lawyers. For Martin Glenn to effectively suggest that I should say that in order to get a payment that they already agreed to is, again, a suggestion that the case has been handled appallingly.
"I don't know what the legal definition of blackmail is but I think I was being asked to do something I wouldn't ordinarily have done to receive the rest of my payment."
Aluko also insisted the payment was not "hush money" but payment for future loss of earnings, stating "nobody said 'how much can we pay you to be silent?' That didn't happen and I wouldn't agree to that".
Giving evidence to chair Damian Collins and 10 other MPs, Aluko said there was a wider issue at play that female players were not having their grievances taken seriously enough at the FA, compared to their male counterparts.
The 102-capped Chelsea forward also believes there was a "preconceived idea" about her from Sampson and his staff when they came into the job, and Aluko reiterated that she believes her being dropped from the England team was linked to evidence she gave to a cultural report in 2015.
But she admitted: "I feel vindicated (by the FA's apology). I'm a human being, I feel relieved. It suggests it's kind of all worth it."
