Soccer is one sport that has made an effort to eliminate racism from the game. That’s the exact reason there is no tolerance when it raises its ugly head.
The player was suspended by the MLS, and he accepted his sentence without objecting. After the suspension, the player seemed to really apologize for his behavior. It is only to be hoped that the circumstance acts as a wake-up call to the fact that much more has to be done to combat prejudice.
For making racial remarks, MLS suspends Dante Vanzeir of the Red Bulls.
Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir has been suspended for six regular season games, according to an MLS statement, after it was discovered that he made a racial slur on Sunday during a game against San Jose. To be clear, while serving his suspension, Vanzeir will also miss exhibition games, which include the forthcoming Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Next Pro games. Vanzeir was given a ban, a fine that was not disclosed, and an obligation to take part in training, education, and restorative practices sessions imposed by the league.
Though it’s unclear exactly what Vanzeir said, the incident’s video makes it quite evident that the Belgian forward’s remarks were inappropriate, as evidenced by the responses of players on both sides as well as the recipient, San Jose forward Jeremy Ebobisse.
In fact, Ebobisse was the one who called out Vanzeir for making a “racial remark” in the second half of the match, resulting in an approximate 18-minute delay. After play restarted, Vanzeir returned to the field, but he was taken out of the game around fifteen minutes later.
