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Football league rejects coach's appeal of penalty over alleged racist behavior

Published: 01 Dec. 2025, 18:46

Members of the Korea Professional Football League's disciplinary committee hold a meeting at the league headquarters in Seoul on Nov. 19, reviewing a controversial ″slanted-eye″ gesture made by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors assistant coach Mauricio Taricco toward referee Kim Woo-seong during a match. [YONHAP]

The Korean football league on Monday rejected an appeal by an Argentine coach regarding a penalty imposed on him over an alleged racist action.

Following a unanimous decision at its board meeting, the Korea Professional Football League (K League) said it will uphold a five-match suspension and a 20 million-won ($13,600) fine on Mauricio Taricco, the assistant coach for the K League 1 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

The league's disciplinary committee handed down the penalty on Taricco on Nov. 19 for his actions during an on-field incident 11 days earlier.

During a match against Daejeon Hana Citizen FC, Taricco argued referee Kim Woo-seong's decision not to call a handball violation on an opposing player. The coach was initially shown a yellow card, and Kim ejected Taricco with a red card moments later, as the coach kept arguing even after a penalty was awarded to Jeonbuk following a video review.

Believing it had been a racist “slanted-eye” gesture, Kim reported the incident to the K League's disciplinary committee. The committee sided with Kim and ruled that Taricco had indeed made a racist move, despite the coach's assertion that he had no such intent and only wanted to ask Kim if he hadn't seen the play in question in real time.

According to the committee, the generally accepted meaning of the slanted-eye gesture and Kim's perception of it take precedence over the intent that Taricco and Jeonbuk both claimed the coach had.

In rejecting Taricco's appeal, the K League said it did not identify any glaring errors in the disciplinary committee's ruling or any new facts to support Taricco's case.

Upset over being labeled a racist, Taricco offered to resign after this season last Tuesday.

The K League's ruling has divided the football community. Mostly discontent with referees in the K League, fans have accused Kim of making baseless charges against the coach when the gesture was clearly not racist and have also criticized the league for not improving the quality of officiating.

Yonhap