LA GALAXY HAVE condemned racist abuse aimed at Derrick Williams after the defender was sent-off during a 3-0 defeat to Portland Timbers last week.
Williams was red-carded for a tackle on Portland’s Andy Polo, with the midfielder subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his quadriceps muscle and tearing the meniscus in his left knee.
And the Galaxy have since confirmed that Ireland international Williams has been subject to racial abuse online following the incident.
A Galaxy statement read: “The LA Galaxy are aware of hateful, threatening and racially abusive social media messages sent to defender Derrick Williams.
#LAGalaxy statement on racial abuse directed at Derrick Williams
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) May 28, 2021
“This abhorrent language and behavior has no place in our sport or in our society.
“The club is working with Major League Soccer and the proper authorities to identify any and all abusers. We will take the appropriate next steps to protect Derrick and all of our players from these acts of hate.”
Williams, 28, joined the MLS side from Blackburn Rovers in March.
The MLS has not yet decided if Williams will be suspended for an extended period of games.
On Thursday, LA Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney said the defender had been in contact with Polo following the game.
“He reached out to the player after,” Vanney said.
“The loser right now in this is the player who is out for the rest of the year. Derrick is now suffering from some other things that should not be happening and taking place, whether it’s social media or whatnot, that are complete nonsense as well.
“He’s a good guy who, at the end of the day, got a tackle very wrong, and he knows that.”
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