Former footballer Joey Barton has sparked outrage by belittling England's Women's Euro 2025 triumph through disparaging social media posts.
The ex-Premier League player dismissed the Lionesses' achievement as winning a "Nonsense Pottery Trophy" on X, following their dramatic victory over Spain on Sunday evening.
Rather than celebrating the team's success in Basel, Switzerland, Barton chose to mock their accomplishment. His inflammatory remarks came after England secured their second consecutive European Championship title, becoming the first English side to claim a major tournament on foreign soil.
The controversial comments represent Barton's latest attempt to diminish women's football through his social media platform.
Joey Barton has taken aim at Chloe Kelly and the lionesses
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Barton's criticism extended to the penalty shootout performance, describing the spot-kicks as "borderline embarrassing". He specifically targeted the team's wage equality campaign, writing: "Do not ever ask for equal pay again. Youse are miles off it."
His comments came despite England's goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saving two penalties whilst Salma Paralluelo missed for Spain. Beth Mead and Leah Williamson saw their efforts saved by Spanish keeper Catalina Coll, but Alex Greenwood, Niamh Charles and Chloe Kelly successfully converted their attempts.
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The former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder also directed hostility towards Prime Minister Keir Starmer before the match, responding to his supportive message by telling him to "do one".
The Lionesses staged a remarkable comeback in the final, trailing for most of the match before equalising to force a penalty shootout. Sarina Wiegman's squad spent merely four minutes and 52 seconds ahead throughout the entire knockout phase of the tournament.
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Joey Barton has taken aim at the Lionesses after their Euros win
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Chloe Kelly emerged as the hero once more, scoring the decisive penalty to secure England's retention of their European crown. The victory marked a significant milestone in Wiegman's tenure, adding another major trophy to her impressive record.
England's triumph in Switzerland represents a watershed moment for the national team, achieving what no English football team had previously accomplished by winning a major competition away from home.
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Sarina Wiegman has led the Lionesses to back-to-back Euros wins
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Following his managerial roles at Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers, Barton has cultivated a provocative online presence as a social media commentator. His profile on X features a pinned poll asking: "Are you a 'Bad Person' for thinking 'Women's Football is S***e'?"
In 2023, Barton claimed that women were "not qualified" to discuss men's football, arguing they lacked "authority on the subject". He expressed concern that female footballers were "taking men's jobs" and "taking food out of their families' mouths when those men have done the hard yards."