Dante Vanzeir reveals he said the word ‘monkey’ thinking it meant ‘clown’ as the disgraced Red Bulls forward speaks out on the racism row that has rocked Major League Soccer
New York Red Bulls striker Dante Vanzeir has revealed he said the word ‘monkey’ in the belief it meant the same as ‘clown’ in the racism row that has shamed Major League Soccer.
In an interview in his native Belgium, Vanzeir said he accepts his $10,000 fine and six-game ban and wants to rebuild his reputation for the recent incident that has shamed Major League Soccer.
Speaking to Sporza, the 25-year-old Vanzeir said: ‘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 said then monkey, but in the sense of clown, dummy. Because I thought he made the wrong decision.
‘t never even occurred to me that that word would be offensive to one of my opponents. I was grumbling to myself and misjudged the impact of that word. In our language, that word is often used with an intent which is not racist at all.
‘I made a mistake, but I hope that the fans can forget me and welcome me back to the field. Because it is still my greatest passion. I want to experience great moments with the club and the fans.’
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