During the second leg of the Montreal Impact’s CONCACAF Champions League semifinal match in Costa Rica, Ghanaian striker Dominic Oduro was the victim of racial abuse by Alajuelense fans.
It took a while for the federation to determine a punishment, but on Tuesday CONCACAF dished out a stiff one.
Alajuelense was fined an undisclosed amount for discrimination by the team’s supporters and the club will not be allowed to play their next home Champions League match at their usual stadium, Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.
“I think they did the right thing,†Oduro said of the punishment, “I wasn’t making this up out of the blue. It was something that really happened.â€
It was important that CONCACAF did not ignore Oduro’s claim and ensured that the appropriate measures were taken. The federation must have a no tolerance policy when it comes to racial abuse and the punishment issued towards Alajuelense sends a firm message to supporters of the club, as well as fans from across the region.
“It takes away the fun of the game,†Oduro continued. “I think we are in this to enjoy this beautiful game, for some of the fans to do that was uncalled for.â€
Racial abuse has been a major problem in football since the inception of the sport. While we haven’t heard of very many incidents involving Major League Soccer, the problem continues to be a major issue across Europe, South America, and Asia.
Despite his frustration, Oduro still has hope that one day we won’t have to deal with discrimination in soccer
“I think we are in this together as much as possible to eradicate racism in the sport that we love,†he said.
Oduro and the Impact are looking to become the first ever MLS side to win the Champions League when they take on Club America in the second leg of the final at Olympic Stadium on Wednesday night in front of over 61, 000 fans.