Dante Vanzeir, a forward for the New York Red Bulls, was suspended for six games by Major League Soccer on Thursday for using racial slurs during Saturday’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes.
Vanzeir has also been hit with an undisclosed fine and will have to take part in restorative practices program, as well as obligatory training and education sessions by MLS.
“MLS is working with both clubs and the MLSPA to provide impacted players and staff with support and resources and is committed to continuing to review and improve its in-game protocol,” the league stated in a statement.
During Saturday’s 1-1 tie against San Jose, Vanzeir made a comment to Quakes forward Jeremy Ebobisse in the 54th minute of play. The play was halted for over twenty minutes as a result of the event.
Subsequently, Red Bulls manager Gerhard Struber expressed regret for leaving Vanzeir in the game.
“During our match on Saturday, I made a decision that I thought was best given the information I had at that moment,” Struber told ESPN. “While there was a lot of uncertainty at the time, with the information that I now know, the right decision would have been to immediately remove Dante Vanzeir from the game.”
On Monday, the Red Bulls and Vanzeir apologized to Ebobisse and the Earthquakes. Then, on Tuesday, New York declared that Vanzeir would leave the squad while MLS looked into the incident.
“I would like to express my heartfelt regret to the Earthquakes players. I’ll do everything in my power to contribute to the necessary changes in this sport and the wider community,” Vanzeir declared. “I also want to apologize to our supporters, the organization, the coaches, and my teammates. I’m sorry for my error, and I’ll do everything I can to improve.”
Having played professional soccer in his home country for seven seasons, Vanzeir is a Belgian who is currently in his first season in the Major League Soccer. After six games this year, he has just one goal.
The 24-year-old will not be present for the Houston Dynamo, Chicago Fire, CF Montréal, Philadelphia Union, New York City FC, and Toronto FC MLS matches. He can play again against Montréal on May 20. During the duration of his sentence, Vanzeir is also not allowed to participate in exhibition matches, MLS NEXT Pro games, or the U.S. Open Cup.
With a 1-4-2 record, the Red Bulls are ranked 11th in the Eastern Conference.
