Belgian football player Dante Vanzeir has apologised for using a racial slur during a match he played on Saturday for his new club New York Red Bulls. Vanzeir used to play for Brussels side Union Saint-Gilloise and has been capped once by the Red Devils.
Vanzeir’s American club put out a statement on Monday evening that saw the Belgian apologise for his actions. He stated that "I will do everything in my power to be part of the change that needs to happen in this sport and our world.”
The incident occurred on Saturday evening in the 54th minute of the match between the New York Red Bulls and the San Jose Earthquakes. Vanzeir’s opponent Jeremy Ebobisse called out the Belgian’s alleged use of a racial slur, revealing after the match that “I can feel pretty comfortable saying that the word was used.”
A melee between the players of both sides ensued causing a 20-minute delay, after which the game resumed. Vanzeir stayed on the pitch despite rules stating that any player facing such an accusation should be taken off. Red Bulls head coach Gerhard Struber apologised later for this. He explained that “with the information that I now know, the right decision would have been to immediately remove Dante Vanzeir from the game.”
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The incident is now being investigated by Major League Soccer, the United States’ top football league. Vanzeir has declared that “I will agree to any suspension, fine and counselling,” with the incident representing a significant fall from grace for the former Belgian international. Just a year ago, he was part of Union Saint-Gilloise’s unexpected push for the Jupiler Pro League title in Belgium.
