The Philadelphia Union have had a woeful start to the season on the field. Photograph: Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images
Suspended Union executive has reportedly failed to complete MLS training. Guardian sources say Ernst Tanner has not rejoined the club after he was found to have violated league policies.
Despite being eligible for reinstatement, former Philadelphia Union sporting director Ernst Tanner has not resumed duties with the club, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation said this week, in part because he has yet to complete his league-ordered restorative practices training.
Tanner was suspended through 1 June by Major League Soccer after a league-ordered investigation found he had violated “policies and standards of professional conduct required of League and Club leadership”. That investigation, which concluded in March, was the league’s second inquiry into alleged misconduct by Tanner; he had previously been investigated after an MLS Players Association complaint alleged multiple instances of racist, sexist and homophobic behavior.
Background of Allegations
MLS executive who built a powerhouse faced allegations of sexist, racist and homophobic behavior. MLS initially closed its initial investigation when it was unable to substantiate those complaints. The Guardian’s own investigation late last year substantiated many of those complaints and raised additional concerns, prompting the league to reopen its investigation and, eventually, suspend Tanner without pay. Neither the league or Union offered any clarity into which specific allegations the investigation substantiated. Tanner has denied the allegations against him.
MLS declined to comment on Tanner’s status. The Philadelphia Union did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Club Changes and Tanner's Future
The Union named former academy director Jon Scheer as sporting director last week, while also firing head coach Bradley Carnell after a franchise-worst start to the season. At the time, Union owner Jay Sugarman addressed Tanner’s status.
“Ernst right now is still in the restorative process,” Sugarman said at a press conference. “We’re going to wait to see how that plays out. The reports we’ve gotten so far is that he’s taken it incredibly seriously. I think he was always planning to step back and go back to Germany at the end of his contract year so we’re running out of time as it is, but we’re going to have conversations with him once we get all the information from the league and the specialists who are working with him.”
When asked whether Tanner could be assigned a different role at the club, Sugarman said it was “premature” to discuss a return before he sees the results of Tanner’s league-ordered training.
Tanner's Legacy and Current Season
During his time at the Union, Tanner built the club into a powerhouse and a model for MLS franchises looking to compete on a tight budget. The Union’s academy system, which Tanner helped construct and oversee, is among the league’s finest, having produced multiple members of the US roster at this summer’s World Cup.
The Union sit in last place in the Eastern Conference and are in the midst of one of the worst seasons in MLS history. They return to play on 22 July, against the New York Red Bulls.
