- The Australian midfielder was suspended for two matches
- He allegedly used offensive language that was not racist.
- Australian football fans have mocked the ban
Australians have reacted in a very Australian way after a Socceroos star was banned in the United States for allegedly dropping a C-bomb on an opposing player.
Patrick Yazbek has been suspended for two games and will be required to undergo a “restorative practice program” after violating Major League Soccer’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.
The Socceroos midfielder was not considered for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches and was instead playing for MLS side Nashville when the incident occurred.
Play was halted for five minutes as umpires tried to decide what to do after the Australian allegedly called an opposition player “****.”
Yazbek had fouled Austin midfielder Owen Wolff in the 30th minute and as he walked back onto the field he appeared to say something to either Wolff or Austin defender Dani Pereira.
Referee Rosendo Mendoza called for a delay almost immediately and after five minutes Yazbek was replaced by Jonathan Pérez.
MLS has confirmed the suspension.
“In making decisions under this Policy, MLS considers many factors, including the player’s willingness to accept responsibility for the harm caused by the misconduct, eagerness to initiate a process to remedy the misconduct, and cooperation with the league’s review,” the league said in a statement.
Australian Socceroos midfielder Patrick Yazbek has been suspended for two games by MLS for using offensive language.
Football Australia says Yazbek’s recent non-selection for the Socceroos had nothing to do with the alleged insult
Nashville SC issued a statement after the game acknowledging that Yazbek was under investigation by the league for “use of offensive language,” but declined to comment further.
While this swear word is commonly used in Australia and especially during sporting events, it is considered an extreme insult in other nations such as the United States.
However, Australians, who have even used the word in tourism promotions for the Northern Territory, cannot understand the severe penalty for the alleged use of the swearword.
“I know 90% of A-League players would be 100% banned if this was implemented,” one posted.
“What a soft league. The C word can be used as a term of endearment here in Australia,” posted another.
“This is discrimination against your culture, isn’t it?” asked another.
Australia has used this bold slogan as a marketing tactic for the Northern Territory.
There were many soccer fans questioning MLS over the incident, including American supporters.
“Who exactly are you discriminating against?” one asked.
“MLS continues to break new ground in its never-ending quest to be the most embarrassing league in the world,” posted another.
“This is ridiculous. The NBA wouldn’t have any players if they banned swearing,” another added.
However, it was also reported that the swear word was not the only part of the insult, which is why MLS took harsh measures against the Australian midfielder.
“Since he was suspended under the non-discrimination policy and not for offensive, insulting or abusive language, the c-word could have only been part of the problem,” one supporter posted.
Socceroos boss Graham Arnold spoke to Yazbek about the incident.
Yazbek has been ruled out of the Socceroos’ upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Bahrain (Thursday night, Gold Coast) and Indonesia (September 10, Jakarta).
But a Football Australia spokesman said the recent MLS suspension was not the reason Yazbek was overlooked.
Socceroos manager Graham Arnold is understood to have spoken to Yazbek since the incident.
Yazbek made his debut for the Socceroos in Australia’s 5–0 win over Lebanon on 26 March.
However, he was not selected in the Socceroos’ squad for June’s matches against Bangladesh and Palestine.