The three main supporters groups for the New York Red Bulls – Viking Army (VA), Empire Supporters Club, and Torcida 96 – say they will be walking out in protest during this weekend’s match against the Houston Dynamo after a racist comment was made by RBNY player Dante Vanzeir last weekend.
In a joint statement, the three groups say they plan to protest against both the club and MLS for their lack of action. They have chosen not only to wear black to the match, but to walk out of the ‘South Ward’ supporters section in protest before the game begins.
‘The South Ward is unified in our desire to protest in reaction to the racial abuse that occurred during the match on April 8, as well as the inadequate response put forward by the New York Red Bulls and Major League Soccer,’ the statement began.
‘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.
‘While Dante has received a six-match suspension from Major League Soccer, we do not feel this is enough. MLS has failed to live up to its policy of “Zero Tolerance” toward racism. We call on MLS to reevaluate their findings and set a precedent that racism in any form will not be tolerated.
All three New York Red Bulls supporters groups plan to walkout of the team’s next match
Fans have been upset after recent racist remarks made by new arrival Dante Vanzeir (13)
They have also expressed anger at the inaction of manager Gerhard Struber during the match
In a joint statement, the fan groups say they will ‘continue protesting’ until change comes
‘We disagree with the lack of punishment by MLS and RBNY for Gerhard Struber. His actions during and after this incident are unacceptable. We call for [sporting director] Jochen Schneider to dismiss Gerhard immediately.
‘Our protest begins this Saturday. We call on everyone at Red Bull Arena to join us in walking out of the stadium at kickoff.
‘We also call for a boycott of all concessions and merchandise stands, and for donations of what you would have spent in-stadium to be directed to Black Players for Change, a 501(c)3 organization that is committed to tackling racial injustice, inequality, and inequity.
‘We plan to continue protesting RBNY and MLS until our conditions are met or we feel the organization has made meaningful and acceptable changes.’
Vanzeir’s words during an on-pitch scuffle led to a long stoppage in play that resulted in 21 minutes of added time at the end of the match. Officials were consulting with players and coaches whether or not to continue the match.
MLS announced yesterday that Vanzeir had been suspended for six games due to his words. He has also been fined an undisclosed amount.
Reaction to the suspension was largely negative, with some – including CBS Sports’ Charlie Davies – saying Vanzeir should have been barred for a longer period of time.
In a statement released on Vanzeir’s behalf by the club, he apologized for his words.
Vanzeir has been suspended by MLS for six games and fined an undisclosed amount
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
‘I accept full responsibility for my actions,’ began Vanzeir’s statement. ‘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.’
The day after the statement was released, and prior to the suspension, the club said Vanzeir would be stepping away from the team.
The statement the club released on Struber’s behalf did not include the words ‘apology’ or ‘sorry’, despite his inaction being directly criticized in the 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 from Monday 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.’
It wasn’t until a Thursday press conference that Struber publicly apologized, saying, ‘First of all, I’ll say sorry for a night like that,’ adding later that he ‘must have brought [Vanzeir] out earlier.’
Fans from all three supporters groups have been vocal in their anger against the club
In recent days, fans from the club have been repeatedly calling for Struber to be sacked as a result of not only his inaction on this issue, but what they believe is his lack of accountability.
Leaders of the three supporters groups met with leaders in the Red Bulls front office including club general manager Marc de Grandpre and sporting director Jochen Schneider as well as Vanzeir and Struber.
According to one account of the meeting, some members believed that Vanzeir was ‘sincere and honest with his apology’ when speaking to supporters.
Meanwhile, that same account of the events claimed that the leadership ‘definitely felt less than satisfied with what Struber had to say and the way in which he said it,’ with that recollection adding, ‘His explanation and apology seemed like it didn’t have much behind it. We did not feel he truly believed he was wrong or made a mistake.’
The match between the Red Bulls and Houston kicks off at 7:30pm ET on Saturday.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk