Mauricio Taricco Quits Jeonbuk After Ban and Racism Row in K League
· YEN.com.gh News · Join- A late-match confrontation spiralled into a controversy that changed Mauricio Taricco’s future overnight
- A single gesture, interpreted in a way he fiercely disputes, triggered a major disciplinary ruling
- The fallout inside Jeonbuk’s camp reveals a divided response that goes far beyond the touchline incident
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Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Mauricio Taricco has stepped down from his role at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors following a racism controversy that has sent shockwaves through South Korean football.
The 52-year-old Argentine, who worked as assistant to head coach Gus Poyet, was disciplined by the K League after officials ruled that he made a racially insensitive gesture towards referee Kim Woo-seong during a heated league encounter.
Source: Getty Images
According to The Guardian, the flashpoint came deep into added time of a match when Jeonbuk were leading 2–1. A penalty appeal for handball was initially dismissed by the referee, sparking furious protests from the Jeonbuk bench.
After VAR intervened and awarded the spot-kick, Taricco continued his complaints and was shown a yellow card. His anger did not subside, and a second booking soon followed.
As he exited the technical area, he placed his fingers near the outer corners of his eyes, a gesture referee Kim interpreted as a “slanted-eye” insult directed at Asians.
The incident was swiftly forwarded to the K League’s disciplinary committee, which concluded that Taricco’s actions amounted to a recognised racist gesture.
In a firm statement released on November 19, the panel said the assistant coach had engaged in behaviour that constituted “ethnic mockery”.
“The video clearly shows coach Mauricio Taricco placing his index finger near the centre of his eye and pulling it outward, narrowing his eyes,” the committee announced, as reported by the Guardian.
“This mirrors the slanted-eye gesture widely understood to ridicule people of Asian descent. Such behaviour has repeatedly been punished by FIFA and is universally accepted as discriminatory.”
Mauricio Taricco handed five-match ban
According to GOAL, Taricco was handed a five-match suspension and fined 20 million won (£10,700). But the repercussions did not end there. The Argentine later confirmed he would leave Jeonbuk and South Korea altogether once the campaign is over.
Source: Getty Images
Despite the ruling, Taricco fiercely rejected the allegation in a lengthy message published on the club’s official website.
He insisted the gesture’s meaning had been misconstrued, explaining that he had only been questioning whether the referee had actually witnessed the handball incident.
“I have lived and worked with people of different cultures all my life without any issues. Yet I have now been labelled a racist because my explanations, the context, and the cultural nuances were dismissed. I simply covered my eyes to suggest the referee should have seen the foul clearly.”
He added that he would depart “with a heavy heart”, thanking the club, players, and supporters for their loyalty.
Meanwhile, Jeonbuk also defended their assistant coach, stating it was “unreasonable” to claim racist intent. Several players echoed that sentiment, including Lee Seung-woo, who said the punishment failed to reflect Taricco’s “true character” or his respect for Korea.
Pep Guardiola's Premier League ban
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported on another manager, Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, who was hit with a ban in the Premier League.
This happened after the Spaniard picked up his third yellow card of the 2024/25 season during his side’s FA Cup win over AFC Bournemouth.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh