Charlie Davies has hit out at MLS for handing down a six-game suspension to New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir, saying the punishment was far too light.
Vanzeir has admitted to using a racial slur in last Saturday’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes, and has said he will step away from the Red Bulls for an indefinite period.
Davies was struck by the fact the Belgian striker had actually admitted to using the slur, something he said should have prompted MLS to follow its own words on being a league with zero tolerance for racism.
“I just think it minimizes the movement because there was this window, this opportunity that the league had. The momentum was going the right way. I wanted to believe it, I think all the players wanted to believe it,” former MLS and USMNT striker Davies said on “Morning Footy” on the CBS Sports Golazo Network.
“And you have time to come up with the right punishment, consequences. And now you plateaued. Six games and a small $10,000 fine. For me it’s just so disheartening. I slept on it and I thought about why would you go this direction after all this hard work to build up the league and build up the people who are usually marginalized and discriminated against across every aspect of life?
“I’m disappointed. I’m really disappointed in the league because I felt — that after the MLS is Back Tournament, every player kneeling, Black Players for Change, Soccer for All, inclusivity, equity, zero tolerance for racism — that the world was watching MLS.
“The window is open to finally make some real significant change and impact when it comes to dealing with racism in our sport. So the world is watching. This is the first time that I’ve ever heard in my life a player admitting to using a racial slur…They said zero tolerance, that’s a league wide statement.”
While Davies said kicking Vanzeir out of the league would “send a message to the world,” he added that he would have accepted a season-long suspension.
“I wanted to see 34 games, let’s set the precedent now,” Davies said. “Six games?!”
Meanwhile, Red Bulls supporters group Viking Army said they would stage a walkout following the national anthem before Saturday’s home game against the Houston Dynamo.
“Some things are bigger than soccer and we need to take a stand,” a statement read.
Watch the full clip below
🗣️ “A season [suspension] is not that hard to ask for when someone tells you they said something like this”@susannahcollins, @Nicocantor1, @CharlieDavies9, and @NotAlexis discuss MLS’s decision to hand Dante Vanzeir a 6-game suspension for using a racial slur. pic.twitter.com/vTj1sQy6bt
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 14, 2023
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