:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47050544/GettyImages-168087347.0.jpg)
Ryan Babel, once upon a time, was a Liverpool football player. He wasn’t much good at the footballing bit, managing to drift along as a fringe squad player for a few years mostly because Rafa Benitez didn’t have the money to bring in a proper replacement.
For most Liverpool fans, he’s remembered for missing a few too many quality chances, running down cul-de-sacs like a headless chicken, supposedly being sent to London via helicopter on deadline day and spawning a #babelcopter hashtag, and Tweeting an image of referee Howard Webb in a Manchester United shirt.
He’s managed to keep himself vaguely relevant in the years since, like so many never-quite-weres in the world of sports and entertainment, by Tweeting a lot and turning himself into something of a personality, mostly famous for being famous. Today, he dug a little deeper into that well by taking to the internet to tell women they can't be football fans.
@Shannxo i think u should concentrate on growing some tits instead of speaking about football... Ur a girl.. Stay in ur lane..
— Ryan Babel (@Ryanbabel) August 28, 2015
After taking a not-quite veiled shot at former manager Rafa Benitez, he responded to a woman who challenged him on it by telling her to "grow some tits instead of speaking about football" and "stay in ur lane." He then added that if it had been a man making the same comment he would have at least been open to debating things with him.
Atleast let your brother or your boyfriend make the comment then we can argue...
— Ryan Babel (@Ryanbabel) August 28, 2015
It’s not that he’s saying you can’t watch football if you have lady parts, though. He wants to make that clear. It’s just that if you do have lady parts and watch football you should find a surrogate person with not-lady parts to share your opinions on football with him. Or something. Because apparently he thinks that makes it better.
I'm not saying i cant be a football fan as a girl or woman... Ofcourse u can duhh... Im just saying that " I " am NOT gonna argue with u 1/2
— Ryan Babel (@Ryanbabel) August 28, 2015
About football....!!!
— Ryan Babel (@Ryanbabel) August 28, 2015
Perhaps, given his blatantly sexist views and apparent lack of shame combined with the clear disdain for Rafa Benitez, it’s just he’s looking to get invited to Jose Mourinho’s super not-so-secret club for sexist football dinosaurs.
