Colorado Rapids defender Chido Awaziem has alleged that an opponent used a derogatory term towards him on the field during his team’s Concacaf Champions League second leg match at Los Angeles FC on Tuesday night.
The incident in question came towards the end of the match, after Awaziem and LAFC defender Sergi Palencia were matched up on a set piece with LAFC leading the game 1-0. After the play Awaziem, a Nigeria international, complained to referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere, seemingly pleading with the official to take some sort of action. The match was paused for around five minutes as the referee engaged in discussions with Awaziem, Palencia, his fellow officials and both teams’ coaches. He then allowed play to continue with no discipline handed out. Awaziem later confronted Palencia after the final whistle.
After the match, Rapids head coach Chris Armas confirmed that Awaziem alleged that Palencia had used a derogatory term.
“Awaziem was pretty clear and upset at a derogatory term,” Armas told reporters. “He was clear about what was said. Our club, myself, we’re fully behind our player to support him with an investigation into what exactly what went down. He was pretty upset.”
LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said as much, telling reporters that “One of Colorado’s players had heard something, a word, that bothered him. He thought that it was directed towards him.”
Cherundolo later said he did not hear the alleged incident, and that “if players hear something and they can’t play, we want to support the players. We’ll let the referees and Concacaf figure that out.”
Concacaf has said it will investigate the allegations. The nature of the alleged derogatory term is not yet known.
“Concacaf has initiated an investigation into a reported incident between players Chidozie Awaziem of Colorado Rapids and Sergi Palencia of Los Angeles FC during last night’s Concacaf Champions Cup match,” a Concacaf spokesperson said. “The investigation will involve a thorough review of the match officials’ reports, available match footage, and the respective positions of both clubs.”
Concacaf’s policies stipulate that the confederation’s disciplinary committee enforce Fifa’s disciplinary code, which mandates a 10-match ban for “Any person who offends the dignity or integrity of a country, a person or group of people through contemptuous, discriminatory or derogatory words or actions on account of race, skin colour, ethnicity, nationality, social origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status or any other reason.”
LAFC’s 1-0 win advanced to the last 16 of the Champions Cup on away goals, 2-2 on aggregate.
