Kirk was first suspended by Leicester on the eve of the club’s FA Cup quarterfinals – the eve of the club’s FA Cup quarterfinals against Liverpool) after a complaint was filed from someone outside the club.
He missed three games before being fired after the investigation was over.
Personal relationships between women’s soccer players and coaches have been criticized for creating power imbalances for the team.
They are not illegal unless minors are involved.
Each WSL club has its own code of conduct, and every club must have a protection officer.
“I knew there was a code of conduct, I signed it like everyone else,” Kirk said. “As the manager of the first team, you are there to lead by example, so I have never said I shouldn’t be fired.
“I was caught up in a meeting on Friday 30 minutes before my training and was asked about it.
“I think sometimes I should have denied it and brought it to the grave, but I don’t think it was sitting well with me. I admitted it.
Kirk was separated from his ex-wife when the relationship began. That was when the player was injured. The two travelled to Italy together on an international break in February, and the club quickly realized.
Kirk accepts that the lines crossed and says that if he had spent time again, things would have been done differently.
“At the time of the investigation, we had already stopped it,” Kirk recalls. “We went too far. This is too close to comfort. We’ll have to put this on the back burner until the end of the season and then leave one of us out of the club. If we still feel this way, we can do something about it.”
Kirk had a permanent contract when he was fired, but was not compensated as the club discovered he had committed serious misconduct.
He has only been to two Leicester games since his exit and regrets how he left.
“I’ve never seen the staff, I’ve never seen the players,” Kirk added. I wanted an opportunity to apologise directly to everyone. I think they felt very disappointed. ”
