--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are so many intelligent former…" description: "\"There are so many intelligent former black players, guys like Luther Blissett and Cyrille Regis, who never got a chance to become a top manager or a to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fa/john-barnes-2996_chance_there-are-so-many-intelligent-former-bla_599566.png" --- # There are so many intelligent former black players, guys… ![“There are so many intelligent former black players, guys like Luther Blissett and Cyrille Regis, who never got a chance to become a top manager or a top coach because of the perception that surrounds people who look like them. They are black - which, for many, means they are good athletes but…” quote by John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fa/john-barnes-2996_chance_there-are-so-many-intelligent-former-bla_599566.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fa/john-barnes-2996_chance_there-are-so-many-intelligent-former-bla_599566.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fa/john-barnes-2996_chance_there-are-so-many-intelligent-former-bla_599566.png) > “There are so many intelligent former black players, guys like Luther Blissett and Cyrille Regis, who never got a chance to become a top manager or a top coach because of the perception that surrounds people who look like them. They are black - which, for many, means they are good athletes but incapable of being anything above and beyond that.” [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights racial bias that limits black former players from coaching roles, assuming they excel only in athletics. **In simple terms:** Racial bias blocks black ex‑players from coaching. Key Takeaway Challenge stereotypes and promote inclusive hiring. Themes racism sport career inclusion stereotypes Mood frustrated determined hopeful Type critical call‑to‑action analytical When to use this quote - football clubs - coaching programs - talent scouting - media coverage Key Concepts implicit bias systemic discrimination representation leadership development Questions to Reflect On - How can clubs identify and dismantle hidden biases? - What policies ensure fair hiring? A Different Perspective Bias may be less overt now, but structural barriers persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Coach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coach/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Perception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perception/) ## Related quotes > [No intelligent black man or black woman in his or her right black mind wants white boys and white girls coming to their homes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/no-intelligent-black-man-or-black-woman-in-his-or-her-right-black/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Okay, if knowledge is the key then just show me the lock. Got the scrawny legs but I move just like Lou Brock, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-tribe-called-quest/okay-if-knowledge-is-the-key-then-just-show-me-the-lock-got-the/) [A Tribe Called Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-tribe-called-quest/) > [You've got to have great athletes to win, I don't care who the coach is. You can't win without good athletes but you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/you-ve-got-to-have-great-athletes-to-win-i-don-t-care-who-the-coach/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [All good athletes make mistakes; the great ones learn to make that mistake only once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raul-lopez/all-good-athletes-make-mistakes-the-great-ones-learn-to-make-that/) Raul Lopez > [I love watching a good horse do what he's bred to do - I guess that's what I like the most about it. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-brimley/i-love-watching-a-good-horse-do-what-he-s-bred-to-do-i-guess-that-s/) [Wilford Brimley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-brimley/) > [The decathlon takes so long to learn that people who are good athletes don't want to go back to the beginning again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daley-thompson/the-decathlon-takes-so-long-to-learn-that-people-who-are-good/) [Daley Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daley-thompson/) > [What's not realized about good novelists is that they're as competitive as good athletes. They study each other - where the other person is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/what-s-not-realized-about-good-novelists-is-that-they-re-as/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Good athletes will be there at good competitions, but I don't think about them; I just think of bettering my own time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/good-athletes-will-be-there-at-good-competitions-but-i-don-t-think/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [It's interesting. I've known quite a few good athletes that can't begin to play a beat on the drum set. 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In the future, there probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquise-goodwin/the-number-of-really-good-athletes-is-decreasing-people-don-t-want-to/) [Marquise Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquise-goodwin/) > [Most of my family are good athletes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-johnson/most-of-my-family-are-good-athletes/) [Dustin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-johnson/) > [My kids are good athletes and runners. They run in a bunch of sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/my-kids-are-good-athletes-and-runners-they-run-in-a-bunch-of-sports/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [Good athletes do not know what tiredness is. They do not know what discouragement is. Good athletes only know what victory is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fidel-castro/good-athletes-do-not-know-what-tiredness-is-they-do-not-know-what/) [Fidel Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fidel-castro/) ## More by John Barnes > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [For a long time, images of black men with big lips and a round head were used to make us feel inferior, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/for-a-long-time-images-of-black-men-with-big-lips-and-a-round-head/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [Normally when you look at the Ballon d'Or winners, they're either attacking midfield players or centre-forwards. They are goalscorers and eye-catching players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/normally-when-you-look-at-the-ballon-d-or-winners-they-re-either/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [This is not the way these tales end," Calliope said firmly. "This is not the way that things end when they get to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/this-is-not-the-way-these-tales-end-calliope-said-firmly-this-is-not/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [“Where did you find construction guys swapping dirty jokes in proto-Númenorean?” Aura asked. “On construction sites. 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