Major League Soccer has issued D.C. United a $25,000 fine for failing to comply with its diversity hiring policy.
Under the league’s policy, finalists for teams’ head coaching vacancies must include “two or more candidates from underrepresented groups, whereby at least one candidate must be either Black or African American.”
According to MLS, when United hired Wayne Rooney as its head coach this summer, one of the two candidates from underrepresented groups could not be considered a finalist because the club “learned during the interview that the candidate was not available to pursue the open position.”
“Once the club came to understand that the candidate was not available for the position, the discussion could no longer reasonably be considered a ‘finalist pool’ interview,” a league statement said.
“Therefore, the club remained obligated to bring an additional candidate from an underrepresented group into the ‘finalist pool’ or request a waiver from MLS detailing the extenuating circumstances that would not allow them to have done so.”
After his midseason arrival, Rooney was unable to prevent United from finishing at the bottom of the league standings.
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