Barbara Agostino, a Democratic Party (DP) MP and former captain of the Luxembourg women’s national football team, the Red Lionesses, speaks on the importance of respecting boundaries in coaching following the recent dismissal of football coach Dan Santos.
Invited to RTL studios on Thursday morning, she said it was essential to know where limits lie and when they have been crossed. She noted that comments about a player’s appearance would not be acceptable behaviour for a coach.
Agostino, who captained the national team in 2005 and describes herself as a devoted supporter, was speaking in relation to the Dan Santos affair. The Luxembourg Football Federation (FLF) dismissed the former coach two weeks ago over what it described as inappropriate messages sent to several players.
Agostino also reflected on her own experiences in the past, recalling situations that would not be acceptable today. She cited an example of a coach entering the women’s showers, which she said would have been considered inappropriate, even if reactions at the time were more restrained and marked by embarrassment.
She added that behaviour such as commenting on appearance would no longer be tolerated today and suggested that, if similar incidents had occurred in the past, they should have been addressed at the time.
Agostino suggested that Santos might also be facing consequences linked to the earlier Gerson Rodrigues affair, where action had taken too long. While she acknowledged that the manner of the dismissal could be debated, by allowing Santos to share his side of the story, she maintained that the FLF needed to respond firmly to such messages.
At the same time, she praised Santos’ sporting contribution, noting that the team’s progress, including a shot at promotion to the Nation’s League B, was also due to his work and that of his staff.
Turning to economic issues, Agostino, who is also an employer and previously managed 24 crèches, shared her views on the minimum wage.
She said it would be very difficult to live on a minimum wage in Luxembourg and argued that, while the minimum wage itself was relatively high, the housing situation profoundly undermined its adequacy. Currently, the minimum wage is at €2,704, with the qualified minimum wage being 20% higher. She noted that even people earning above the minimum wage are facing financial difficulties.
Agostino added that young people without financial support from their families would particularly struggle, regardless of whether they earn the minimum wage.
The MP also argued that discussions around the minimum wage should not be black and white. While acknowledging the importance of wage debates, she said employers should also be able to address the issue of absenteeism.
She clarified that her comments did not concern individuals who are genuinely ill, but rather cases of abusive absenteeism, where employees take advantage of the system.
