Joey Barton blasted after suggesting Eni Aluko is ‘playing the victim card’ as she ‘flees UK’ over his sexist rants

JOEY Barton has been blasted for suggesting Eni Eluko is “playing the victim card” after “fleeing the country” in his latest sexist rant.

The TV pundit, 36, appeared on Threesixtytv, an urban sports media and distribution company, to talk about harassment towards women in football broadcasting.

PA

Joey Barton has blasted Eni Eluko saying she ‘knows nothing about men’s football’[/caption]

The TV pundit, 36, appeared on Threesixtytv to talk about harassment towards women in football broadcastingRex

Twitter / @Joey7Barton

But Barton, 41, took to his X/ Twitter account to blast her appearance[/caption]

But Barton, 41, took to X/Twitter to blast her appearance saying “you’re dreadful as a pundit”.

Alongside the TikTok live video, Barton wrote: “Cry me a f***ing river… I was waiting for the victim card to be played.

“Eni, sorry luv, you’re dreadful as a pundit. Tone deaf, can’t count and most importantly you know next to nothing about men’s football.

“You should have ran off to a desert island after your ‘Arteta phoning Pep to put a bid’ in nonsense. Everyone is laughing at you. Not just me.”

But he was blasted online, with commenters taking aim at him for his sexist claims.

One wrote: “You’re just trying to drive women out of the game.”

Another added: “But you dislike her because she’s a woman, not because she’s a bad pundit.”

A third said: “Let me ask you a serious question: when does fair comment become bullying?”

It comes after Aluko revealed she has left the UK fearing for her safety after being bombarded by online abuse, in a 15-minute video posted on her Instagram account.

The star said she had not left her house until Friday but is “now abroad” after feeling “genuinely scared”.

The post also included a stark warning that the online abuse of women working in football was in real danger of ending in tragedy.

Barton sparked fury earlier this month when he took aim at Aluko and Lucy Ward.

He dubbed them “the Fred and Rose West of football commentary”.

Fred and Rose West were two of Britain’s worst serial killers.

Barton made the comparison as he questioned their legitimacy as pundits after they covered Crystal Palace‘s FA Cup draw with Everton.

But instead of apologising after the backlash, the ex-Manchester City footballer launched another foul-mouthed tirade, likening Aluko to communist dictators Joseph Stalin and Pol Pot.

Eluko hung up her boots in January 2020 after playing 102 times for England between 2004 and 2016.