Tag: Dante Vanzeir

Vanzeir rejoins New York Red Bulls after suspension for racial epithet

Red Bulls players voted to allow Vanzeir to rejoin the group

Dante Vanzeir is back training with the New York Red Bulls after the conclusion of a six-game suspension for using a racial epithet.

Following accusations from San Jose Earthquakes players, Vanzeir eventually admitted that he had called a Black player a “monkey” during a 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena on April 8.

Per a statement from the Red Bulls, the full squad voted on whether Vanzeir could return to training after the Belgian forward stepped away from the team in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

“Dante Vanzeir began a comprehensive program, including emotional accountability, restorative practice and cultural sensitivity sessions in mid-April with the outside firm. He continues to have sessions now and moving forward,” said the Red Bulls’ statement.

“We have held restorative process sessions with our players, sporting and front office staff, academy players and their parents or guardians. Vanzeir met with the team as he re-entered training and was unanimously approved to be able to return to the team in an anonymous player vote.”

Significant fallout for Red Bulls

Vanzeir returns to a club that has significantly changed since he used racist language. Former head coach Gerhard Struber’s disastrous handling of the situation — he refused calls to substitute Vanzeir from the San Jose Earthquakes, and possibly from some Red Bulls players, a choice he eventually admitted was a mistake — sparked fury among fans, who staged a walkout of their home match against the Houston Dynamo on April 15.

Between the fan outrage and a poor start to the season, Struber was dismissed on May 8.

Interim head coach Troy Lesesne addressed Vanzeir’s return to training on Friday, confirming the team statement’s assertion that the player vote for Vanzeir’s return to training was unanimous.

Vanzeir’s suspension drew intense criticism from former MLS/USMNT forward Charlie Davies. The ban ended following Wednesday night’s scoreless draw at Toronto FC, meaning Vanzeir is eligible to play in Saturday’s home game against CF Montréal. It is unclear whether he will take part, especially after not training with the club for over a month.

[lawrence-related id=18088,17566,17513]

Gerhard Struber out as Red Bulls head coach

It has been a tumultuous 2023 for the Red Bulls and the coach has now paid the price

Gerhard Struber is no longer head coach of the New York Red Bulls, with the club saying the two sides “have mutually agreed to part ways.”

Struber joined the Red Bulls in 2020 and led the club to the playoffs in 2021 and 2022. This season, however, the Red Bulls sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 1W-6D-4L record through 11 games.

Assistant Troy Lesesne has been named head coach through the end of the 2023 season.

“I enjoyed my time at the New York Red Bulls,” Struber said in a club release. “It was also clear for me that I wanted to return to Europe at the end of this season, at the latest. It was extremely difficult for me to live here, completely without my family. I informed the club early enough about my wishes and we came to the agreement to part ways.”

A difficult 2023 for Struber

Though the decision was framed as mutual, it’s clear that the pressure has been ramping up on Struber in recent months.

The Red Bulls’ on-field performances have been subpar, including a 1-0 defeat to Philadelphia on Saturday that took the club’s winless run to seven games.

But Struber’s position had been even more compromised by his handling of last month’s incident in which Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir used a racial slur in a game against the San Jose Earthquakes.

San Jose head coach Luchi Gonzalez urged Struber to take Vanzeir off the pitch after the incident, but the Red Bulls coach left the striker on.

Struber’s refusal to take Vanzeir off led many Red Bulls fans to call for him to be sacked, with large sections of the home crowd walking out of last month’s game against Houston in protest.

The coach would later admit that he had made a mistake in not removing the Belgian from the match.

[lawrence-related id=17566,17482,19052]

Vanzeir admits saying ‘monkey’ but insists he didn’t mean it offensively

The striker is still hoping to play for the Red Bulls again after the ugly incident

Dante Vanzeir admitted he said the word “monkey” during an incident against the San Jose Earthquakes, but has denied he intended to use the word in a racial context.

In his first interview since being suspended six games for the use of a racial slur, the New York Red Bulls forward attempted to explain his version of events of an incident that has ignited fury across the league.

Sporza asked the Belgian striker if he used the n-word, to which he responded: “No. I’ll tell you exactly how it went… The referee blows his whistle for a foul, after which I enter into a discussion with him. Afterwards I’m still grumbling to myself about the ref. I then said ‘monkey,’ but in the sense of clown, dummy. Because I thought he made the wrong decision.”

Vanzeir insisted he did not mean to offend when he used the word, though he admitted he is aware that he was wrong to do so.

“It never even occurred to me that that word would be offensive to one of my opponents,” he said. “I was grumbling to myself and misjudged the impact of that word. In our language, that word is more often used with an intent which is not racist at all.

“Afterwards I also realized what the impact could be, I realize that I hurt people with it. I would like to apologize again for my choice of words at that time.”

Though many Red Bulls fans have said they do not wish to see Vanzeir play for the team again, the Designated Player said he is hopeful he will have a path back to a place in MLS.

“I made a mistake, but I hope that the fans can forgive me and welcome me back on the field,” the 25-year-old said. “Because it is still my greatest passion. I want to experience beautiful moments with the club and the fans.”

[lawrence-related id=17566,17545,17513]

Red Bulls fans walk out to protest club’s handling of Vanzeir, Struber

Red Bulls supporters have seen enough

When it comes to Dante Vanzeir and Gerhard Struber, New York Red Bulls fans have seen enough.

Three of the largest Red Bulls supporters groups staged a walk out of Saturday night’s match against the Houston Dynamo, leaving en masse after the national anthem was played at Red Bull Arena.

Following the Belgian striker’s admission that he used a racial slur in last Saturday’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes, Vanzeir was suspended six games by MLS. That tepid response, a contrast to the league’s stated “zero tolerance” policy, has drawn intense criticism from fans, media, and former MLS stars like Charlie Davies.

Furthering the problem, Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber did not remove Vanzeir from play even after being exhorted to do so by San Jose boss Luchi Gonzalez. Struber admitted on Thursday that he had mishandled the situation at the time, though that admission has seemed to make little impact when it comes to the maelstrom the club has found itself in.

That includes a furious reaction from the club’s supporters, who have called for Vanzeir’s contract to be terminated and for Struber to be fired. Vanzeir’s suspension for less than 20% of the season has left fans feeling as though there’s no choice but to act.

Red Bull Arena’s “South Ward” is home of the club’s largest supporters groups, and it ended up being empty as fans left as a group moments before kickoff. That follows a plan the supporters’ groups spelled out in statements posted on social media Friday.

“It is the position of the South Ward that we will not provide active, in-stadium support at Red Bull Arena until Dante Vanzeir and Gerhard Struber are justly punished and held accountable for their actions,” read a joint statement from supporters’ groups Empire SC, Viking Army, and Torcida 96. “We plan to continue protesting RBNY and MLS until our conditions are met or we feel the organization has made meaningful and acceptable change.”

The statement called on MLS to revisit their suspension of Vanzeir and announce something more in line with the league’s stated anti-racist goals, and demanded that the club’s head of sport Jochen Schneider fire Struber immediately.

The supporters’ joint statement included a call for fans elsewhere to join the walk out, and to donate money to the Black Players for Change rather than spend it on concessions at Red Bull Arena.

As the match kicked off, fans began their departure from seats reserved for the supporters’ groups, leaving them nearly deserted.

[lawrence-related id=17545,17513,17482]

Davies slams MLS for ‘disheartening’ six-game Vanzeir suspension

The ex-USMNT striker said kicking the Belgian out of the league would “send a message to the world”

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

[lawrence-related id=17513,17482,17203]

Vanzeir handed six-game suspension by MLS after racial slur

Vanzeir is suspended, fined, and banned from appearing in non-MLS competitions

New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir has been suspended six games for using a racial epithet during league play.

Following an investigation, MLS has announced that Vanzeir will also be barred from playing in the U.S. Open Cup, MLS Next Pro games, or exhibition matches until he completes the full suspension.

Vanzeir was accused by players from the San Jose Earthquakes of using a slur during their game at Red Bull Arena last Saturday. Officials stopped play for 19 minutes in an attempt to sort the situation out, but the match ultimately resumed with Vanzeir still on the field.

San Jose head coach Luchi Gonzalez was among those calling on Red Bulls’ boss Gerhard Struber to remove Vanzeir from the game, a situation Struber admitted on Thursday that he mishandled. MLS’s statement did not address any punitive action for Struber.

In the days following the incident, Vanzeir released a statement admitting his use of an epithet, adding that he would accept whatever punishment that MLS and the Red Bulls deemed appropriate.

In Thursday’s announcement, MLS said that Vanzeir has also been fined an undisclosed amount, and must “participate in additional league-mandated training and education sessions, as well as a restorative practices program.” It is not clear whether those aspects of his punishment must be completed before his suspension ends.

“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,” concluded the league’s announcement.

Vanzeir will be eligible to return to play for May 20’s home game against CF Montréal.

[lawrence-related id=17482,17203,17141]

Red Bulls’ Struber regrets not substituting Vanzeir after racial epithet

Struber admitted fault, but some supporters may still want him out

HANOVER, N.J. — Gerhard Struber finds himself under fire for not taking action after last weekend’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes was marred by a New York Red Bulls player using a racial epithet.

The game was stopped in the second half when Earthquakes forward Jeremy Ebobisse claimed that a Red Bulls player, later revealed to be Dante Vanzeir, had used a slur.

During the elongated delay to investigate the claim, Struber did not remove the player from the pitch on his own, or after being exhorted to do so by San Jose head coach Luchi Gonzalez. The Red Bulls coach instead chose to keep the most expensive player on his roster on the field for over 30 more minutes.

Vanzeir has since admitted his offense and stepped away from the club. On Thursday, Struber addressed the situation — including his own underwhelming response — at length.

“Right now I can say very clear, with all my information now, I must bring Dante Vanzeir out, immediately,” said Struber. “For me this is a very, very new situation in my coaching career. I think it’s not so easy to handle always everything the right way, especially [because] this was the first time.”

It was certainly a difficult situation for Struber to navigate, but one that in many ways his own inaction made far worse. Had Struber stepped forward and removed Vanzeir, at least some of the damage to the Earthquakes and to his own club could have been mitigated.

The Red Bulls head coach didn’t focus so much on apologizing as he did on discussing how he could have better navigated the situation.

“Right now we have a situation that my boys, we’ve had many, many conversations this week with different player groups,” said Struber. “Of course with the team together so we can start the healing process. The situation hurts everyone. I feel very, very sorry for our supporters, I feel very, very sorry for our players.”

At times, Struber seemed emotional as he owned up to the fact that he failed in not pulling Vanzeir off the field after the accusations were made. Whether from an ethical standpoint or a more pragmatic one, the right thing to do would have been to substitute Vanzeir, even at the expense of a result.

One thing that became clear in the press conference is that that should Vanzeir ever return to the club, he faces an uphill battle not just to win the fans back at Red Bull Arena, but to earn a place back within the team’s locker room.

“I’m not sure what the specific consequences are for [Vanzeir],” said Red Bulls captain Sean Nealis when asked what the next steps should be. “I don’t know if they were announced or anything yet, but I think he’s got a long road to regain the trust and respect of guys in the locker room… We’ll see what the consequences are.”

On Wednesday night, Struber — along with Red Bulls general manager Marc de Grandpre — met with three supporters groups that make up Red Bull Arena’s ‘South Ward.’ Struber called it a productive and beneficial meeting.

It won’t be easy to win over the club’s ardent supporters after such a mistake. Prior to last weekend’s game, Struber was already on thin ice with some fans given the team’s lackluster start to the season. Now, following a situation where he appears to have placed points over morals, the cries from a sizable number of supporters are for the club to move on from the Austrian manager.

Struber’s future, and that of Vanzeir, remains unclear. The forward indicated he will step away from the club for an unknown period of time, and MLS has since issued a six-game suspension. Struber did not face any punishment from the league.

[lawrence-related id=17203,17141]

Vanzeir steps away from Red Bulls after admitting to racial slur vs. Earthquakes

The Belgian said he’d accept whatever suspension was coming his way

New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir has admitted to using a racial slur in Saturday night’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes, apologizing for his actions and later saying he’d be stepping away from the team “until further notice.”

After the game, Earthquakes forward Jeremy Ebobisse alleged an unnamed Red Bulls player used a a racial epithet in the second half. Replays showed that Vanzeir appeared to be the player in question, with Ebobisse and other Quakes players angrily confronting the Belgian.

In a Red Bulls statement released Monday night, Vanzeir offered an apology and said he’d accept whatever suspension was coming his way.

“I want to sincerely apologize to the players of the Earthquakes,” Vanzeir said. “I will do everything I can to be part of the change that needs to happen in this sport and our world.

“I also want to apologize to my teammates, coaches, the organization and our fans. I made a mistake and will take all the necessary steps to grow.

“I accept full responsibility for my actions. While I did not intend to cause any harm or offense with my language, I know that I did and for that I am deeply sorry.

“I will agree to any suspension, fine and counseling that is handed down by Major League Soccer and the club.

“I will use this opportunity to better myself, reflect and dedicate my time and efforts to work with organizations that tackle racial injustice.”

On Tuesday, the Red Bulls released another statement saying that Vanzeir “will step away from the club until further notice.”

In their first statement, the Red Bulls added that they “wholeheartedly apologize for the unacceptable events that transpired on Saturday night during the match with the San Jose Earthquakes.

“The words and inaction was inexcusable, and we believe there is never a place for it.”

Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber has been under fire for his decision to not sub Vanzeir out of the game — which Earthquakes coach Luchi Gonzalez said he’d requested.

Struber has now said that his decision to leave the forward in the game was a mistake.

“During our match on Saturday, I made a decision that I thought was best given the information I had at that moment,” Struber said.

“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.”

Vanzeir joined the Red Bulls this past offseason from Belgian club Royal Union Saint-Gilloise for a fee of over $5 million, making him the club’s second-highest signing ever.

[lawrence-related id=17136,17141]

Earthquakes allege use of racial epithet during Red Bulls draw

MLS is investigating an alleged use of a racial slur

San Jose Earthquakes forward Jeremy Ebobisse has alleged that a New York Red Bulls player used a racial epithet during a 1-1 draw between the clubs on Saturday night.

Per Ebobisse, the incident happened amid a scuffle following a clash between Red Bulls defender Dylan Nealis and San Jose midfielder Judson. Referee Ismir Pekmic booked Nealis’ brother Sean for his reaction, and Judson for his challenge. Sometime in the moments that followed, Ebobisse says that a player he declined to name used a racial epithet.

“Late tackles on our end, or their end, that’s all part of the game. What we saw tonight should not be part of the game,” Ebobisse told reporters following the match. “What started with a foul that was deemed to be committed by Judson, and a yellow card. Fast forward a few minutes, seconds, it ended with a racial epithet being used.”

San Jose players could be seen reacting en masse in the moments after the issue seemed to be calming down, with their attentions centering on Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir. Replays showed Ebobisse vehemently arguing with Vanzeir before players from both clubs ended up in a shoving match.

The situation saw Pekmic bring both coaches over to explain the allegation, and eventually saw a VAR examination of video footage to see if officials could conclusively determine what had been said, and whether it merited a red card.

That stoppage lasted 19 minutes, but apparently ended inconclusively.

Ebobisse, who is Black, said that he wanted to respect the investigation, and that “what’s important for me to share is that I know what I heard.”

The Earthquakes forward added that San Jose coach Luchi Gonzalez told his team he’d back them if they wanted to walk off the field, but said the team ultimately chose to play on.

“The reason why I felt, after a lengthy conversation, that we should continue on with the game is because that the player who said the word claimed that it was not aimed at any of us,” said Ebobisse. “Whether that is a good-faith comment or not, we’ll see how the investigation goes on.”

“Just a difficult moment. Once again, players being put in charge, forced to make a decision, manage all sorts of emotions because the system is not robust enough to capture moments and gain clarity within a matter of minutes, seconds, that these actions happen,” added Ebobisse.

“This is what it is to be Black in these situations. You can’t be wrong, you can’t overstep anything outside of what you know to be fact. So, you have to proceed with absolute caution, even in moments of hurt, where you are feeling rather powerless to handle the situation to the degree that you would like to.”

Shortly after the match, MLS confirmed that the incident will be investigated.

“Major League Soccer is aware of an incident wherein a New York Red Bulls player is alleged to have used language that violates league policy during the 54th minute of the New York Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes match tonight,” read the statement. “MLS has zero tolerance for abusive and offensive language and takes these allegations seriously. An investigation into this matter will begin promptly. Further information will be provided upon completion of that investigation.”

The Red Bulls issued a statement of their own pledging to cooperate with the investigation.

“The New York Red Bulls take these matters very seriously and promptly reported the allegations to Major League Soccer,” read the team statement. “The New York Red Bulls do not condone any form of harassment or discrimination.”

Gonzalez confirmed to reporters that he told Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber that he should, in the meantime, substitute the player in question. “I was adamant to suggest that the player should not be on the field anymore,” said Gonzalez.

That would follow a precedent set during the last incident involving an alleged use of a slur in a game. In 2022, Inter Miami players alleged that D.C. United forward Taxi Fountas had used an epithet, and though referee Ismail Elfath did not have evidence to eject any player in that situation, Miami insisted that Fountas should be removed from the match at the first opportunity. United head coach Wayne Rooney agreed, and substituted Fountas at the next stoppage.

In this case, Struber did not apparently agree with Gonzalez, as Vanzeir stayed in the match until the 86th minute.

“I trust my players. If they say something, they’re high-character human beings before [being] professional soccer players, so I would trust that it’s true,” said Gonzalez. “So that’s something I think the referees and the coaching staff in New York, whether true or not, I think could could act in terms of the player not being a part of the game anymore.”

[lawrence-related id=9085,7452,15783]

Vanzeir shows flash of enormous potential with dramatic late winner

The Red Bulls striker found the net late to provide a glimpse of his ability

HARRISON, N.J. — Dante Vanzeir broke through for the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night, the pricey transfer scoring the game-winner and providing an important glimpse of his finishing potential.

Second-half substitute Vanzeir’s first MLS goal came in the 86th minute, making the difference in a 2-1 win for the Red Bulls over the Columbus Crew.

Not only did it give the Red Bulls their first win of the season, but it showed the value of Vanzeir in the final third. The sample size is admittedly small — Vanzeir has just 54 minutes of MLS play across three appearances — but his movement off the ball and timely, well-taken goal is certainly something that the Red Bulls haven’t experienced much during Gerhard Struber’s time as head coach.

Calling Vanzeir “football smart,” Struber feels he might finally have a striker capable of big plays in important moments.

“We can see that his mechanisms, he directs some players in different directions and their good moves, he has good mobility and, in the end, he knows in which position he can come and score,” Struber said.

“Of course, there were good moments in training and also we know a little bit more from him right now (about) where is exactly his strength. This is not so much from my side. I know him exactly but this is more that the team comes in touch with him and realizes more and more in which direction he wants the ball, in which direction he can help the group.”

The Red Bulls, built not upon star power but rather the premise of team effort and work rate, brought in the highly touted Vanzeir this offseason to be a difference-maker. Once capped by Belgium, the 24-year old striker was purchased from Union SG for $5 million, the second-highest transfer in club history.

While the Red Bulls have had some talented teams over the past few years, they’ve universally lacked the kind of elite player who can score in key moments, something that their playoff failures of recent years emphatically underscores. Vanzeir’s pedigree certainly points to being a different kind of player.

On the goal, Vanzeir showed exactly what the Red Bulls were missing the past two seasons under Struber: a forward who not only finds good positions but can finish them off.

Cristian Cásseres Jr. played in John Tolkin, the Red Bulls left back, down the flank. With one touch, Tolkin took the bouncing ball and looped it to the back post.

Struber called Tolkin’s play “very sexy,” adding “this makes [Vanzeir’s] job much easier to score.”

With Tom Barlow making an intelligent run to the near post, Vanzeir went wide where he was unmarked at the back post. With his first touch, Vanzeir went near post and beat Eloy Room.

“It was a difficult angle and I think to put that ball at the second post most of the time (that) needs a little curve and I was next to the post,” Vanzeir said after the match.

“I think first post for a goalkeeper is sometimes difficult to react to and also unexpected.”

That Vanzeir tallied so early in his MLS career should provide an exhale for the team and the player.

“I think every goal you make kind of gets you a good feeling. There’s not a lot of pressure on me, I’m still new to the league, new to the country,” Vanzeir said.

“But it’s a great start and it’s also good for the team. Three points, our first victory. Many more to come hopefully.”

[lawrence-related id=15901,15873,15783]