LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The investigation comes in response to allegations made by the New England Revolution that Kai Wagner, a defender for the Philadelphia Union, used a racial slur against their forward, Bobby Wood.
The incident is said to have occurred during the final moments of the Union’s 3-1 playoff victory over the Revolution on Sunday night.
Wood, who has a background of Japanese and African-American descent, was reportedly the target of the alleged slur, which was spoken in German by Wagner, who hails from Germany.
Wagner, who is in the final year of his contract with the Union, is likely to leave the club at the end of the season.
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He has received numerous accolades in MLS, having been selected to the All-Star team twice and named to the MLS Best XI in 2022.
The Major League Soccer (MLS) has acknowledged the allegation and initiated a review of the matter.
In a statement provided to The Athletic, the league stated, “MLS is aware of the allegation that a player used discriminatory language toward an opposing player, and a review of the matter is underway.
“The League has been working with the MLS Players Association and Black Players for Change on a process to address these types of allegations and will have no further comment during the pendency of the review.”
Furthermore, on Monday morning, FC Cincinnati forward Dominique Badji revealed on social media that he, too, was subjected to racial abuse following his playoff match the previous night.