Ron Jans resigned from his post as coach of the Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati as the team and the league investigate allegations that he used racial slurs.
The club received a complaint from the MLS Players Association, which, according to ESPN soccer announcer Taylor Twellman, was about Jans singing a song that contained the N-word in the clubhouse where players could hear.
The complaint also cited another incident last year, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The team was in Washington to play D.C. United and visited national memorials in the District before the day of the game, when Jans apparently “made inappropriate comments about slavery.”
FC Cincinnati president Jeff Berding released a statement about the matter Tuesday, saying “some themes emerged” during the investigation and the club accepted Jans’ offer of resignation.
“We place the utmost importance on a strong culture within our club, beginning in our locker room, and that every person connected with FC Cincinnati feels valued, respected and trusted,” Berding wrote. “Racial and cultural diversity is a major part of what makes the game of soccer so special, and we place the highest priority on respecting every person involved in our game. This includes absolutely everyone associated with our club, from our locker room and front office, all the way through to our fans.”
Jans, who is Dutch, managed teams in the Netherlands and Belgium before FC Cincinnati became his first North American job.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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