New York Red Bulls’ Dante Vanzeir apologizes for making racist remark in San Jose Earthquakes game

The New York Red Bulls, manager Gerhard Struber, and forward Dante Vanzeir have all issued statements in the aftermath of a racist incident that occurred on Saturday’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes.

During the game, a scuffle led to a lengthy stoppage that resulted in an astonishing 21 minutes of added time at the end of the match.

Following the game’s conclusion, San Jose player Jeremy Ebobisse said he heard a racist remark – and game footage showed players on both sides reacting by shoving Vanzeir away from the scuffle.

Vanzeir, who recently arrived from Belgium, took responsibility for what he did, in his statement, saying that he would ‘agree to any suspension, fine, and counseling’ as a result of his punishment.

None of the statements mentioned whether or not Vanzeir would be available for selection at this weekend’s home match against the Houston Dynamo. 

New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir (center) apologized for making a racist remark

Saturday’s match was stopped for over 20 minutes as the officials discussed how to proceed

The statement from Vanzeir read as follows: ‘I want to sincerely apologize to the players of the Earthquakes. 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.’ 

A statement from the club also directly apologized for the incident, calling the words and the inaction by manager Gerhard Struber ‘inexcusable’.

‘The New York Red bulls 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.

‘We always strive for an environment that is inclusive and anti-racist. Our organization is committed to providing the resources to further educate our players and staff, as well as rebuilding trust within our community.’

Despite pleas to take Vanzeir off from opposing players and managers, New York Red Bulls boss Gerhard Struber kept the Belgian on the field until the 87′, when he was substituted

Further, a statement from Struber was released. However, his statement did not include the words ‘apology’ or ‘sorry’, despite his inaction being directly addressed in his club’s statement. 

As the incident occurred, and the lengthy stoppage continued, Earthquakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez said he, ‘was adamant to suggest that the player should not be on the field anymore.’ 

Despite this, Vanzeir was not taken off the field until the 87th minute.

Struber’s statement read, ‘During our match on Saturday, I made a decision that I thought was best given the information I had at that moment. 

‘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.’