Olivier Deschacht faces backlash over women's football comments

Football analyst Olivier Deschacht has faced intense criticism following derogatory remarks regarding women's football made during a podcast episode of ‘Ongefliterd’. Deschacht expressed disdain for watching women's matches, specifically mentioning the Champions League game between OHL Women and PSG. The controversy escalated when Deschacht suggested he would only watch if a celebrity like Sydney Sweeney participated, a comment that was met with laughter from his fellow panelists.

In response to the backlash, OHL Women staff have called for respect. Coach Ster Habibzadeh emphasized that players work as hard as male counterparts and stated that the sport needs support rather than being pulled down. Goalkeeper Louise Seynaeve also criticized the comments, describing the dismissive attitude as ‘pathetic’.