Former Premier League defender Mauricio Taricco has been handed a five-match suspension for making a racist gesture towards the referee during a K League match in South Korea.
Taricco, 52, an assistant coach to Gus Poyet at defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, sparked outrage earlier this month after he allegedly made a “slanted eye” gesture towards referee Kim Woo-seong.
The incident occurred after Taricco violently protested against a penalty being disallowed for handball. He was shown a red card, then allegedly shouted the Spanish word for “racist” at the referee and then covered the corners of his eyes with his fingers – a gesture widely considered offensive and racist.
Following the referee’s complaint, the K League disciplinary committee launched an investigation and found that Taricco’s actions “constituted racist conduct,” citing FIFA precedents for similar incidents.
The commission stated:
“Such a gesture is widely considered offensive across cultures and is consistent with actions previously sanctioned by FIFA.”
Taricco defended himself, claiming that he merely pointed to his eyes to ask if the referee had seen the handball.
The league, however, rejected his explanation and imposed a 20 million won ($13,600) fine and a five-match suspension.
Jeonbuk, who recently won a record 10th K League title, has not yet issued an official response to the assistant coach’s punishment.
Taricco and Poyet, long-time coaching partners, have worked together in several countries, including England, Spain, Greece, China, and France.
This latest controversy is one of the most high-profile disciplinary cases in the K League this season.
Be the first to comment