Major League Soccer found an allegation that D.C. United forward Taxi Fountas used a racial slur toward an Inter Miami player in an incident during the teams’ Sept. 18 matchup credible, it said Monday, but added that it could not independently verify the allegation and would not be issuing discipline to Fountas or D.C. United.
Advertisement
Fountas voluntarily remained separated from the team during the investigation, missing matches on Oct. 1 and 9. He remains eligible to play in 2023, the league said.
The game in question was paused for several minutes after Fountas and Inter Miami defender Damion Lowe exchanged words in the 59th minute. Both Fountas and Lowe were issued yellow cards. D.C. coach Wayne Rooney pulled Fountas from the game in the 66th minute.
Head referee Ismail Elfath told The Athletic that the players were issued yellow cards for “lack of respect of the game” before the alleged use of a slur was reported, and that “no official heard any racist or abusive language.” Elfath said the incident was also checked by the VAR.
Inter Miami’s DeAndre Yedlin said that “Damion and another player got into a bit of a scuffle,” and that as Lowe walked away, “one of their guys called him the N-word.” Yedlin added that Inter’s players conferred after the incident and decided they wouldn’t continue playing unless something was done. Rooney and Miami coach Phil Neville met and decided that Fountas would be removed from the game at that point, multiple sources said that night.
Neville said after his team’s 3-2 win that Fountas used a “racist comment” in the exchange, calling his comment one that’s “the worst word in the world.”
MLS said that Fountas’ claimed in interviews conducted as part of the investigation that he said nothing “discriminatory or otherwise” during the confrontation. MLS said it did not find those claims credible.
“Video of the incident clearly shows (Inter Miami defender Aimé Mabika) suddenly reacting to something he believed he heard from Fountas,” the league said. “MLS was unable to confirm independently, through additional eyewitness accounts, video footage or audio recordings, what Fountas said in that moment, as has been the league’s long-standing practice in determining player discipline for these types of allegations.”
Advertisement
The league added that it plans to examine its policies around allegations of abusive and discriminatory language. Previous punishments for confirmed uses of slurs and offensive language by players and coaches have included fines and multi-game suspensions.
(Photo: Geoff Burke / USA Today)