LA Galaxy Part Ways With Player After His Wife Made Violent and Racist Comments About Protesters on Instagram
By Steven Kubitza | Jun 5, 2020, 2:47 PM EDT
Forward Aleksandar Katai has been in MLS since 2018, and just joined the LA Galaxy earlier in 2020. Today, the Serbia native was surprisingly released from the tea, though not for something he himself did.
Katai's wife, Tea, made controversial and racist comments about protestors on Instagram. The Galaxy attacker tried to apologize on her behalf, but it wasn't enough. He's now out of a job.
LA Galaxy part ways with midfielder Aleksandar Katai after his wife, Tea, made posts on Instagram saying that authorities should kill protesters and describing them as "disgusting cattle" https://t.co/5joZUiIOmc pic.twitter.com/yRK0MRiExT
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 5, 2020
Katai being released for comments his wife made shows how being associated with racist and violent sentiments in such times is too toxic for a lot of organizations to handle. There was no way for him to move forward with the team even with an apology; his wife advocated for killing protestors, plain and simple.
Wednesday: Aleksandar Katai’s wife Tea Katai calls the Los Angeles protestors “Disgusting cattle,” saying, “Kill the s**ts.”
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) June 5, 2020
Thursday: LA Galaxy fans protest outside the stadium demanding Katai’s release.
Friday: LA Galaxy release the Serbian winger from his contract. pic.twitter.com/iFPhneLLr6
Soccer is a global game, and racism within the sport is a major problem worldwide. A player's wife openly suggesting that those protesting racial oppression should be rounded up like animals and killed was too much for the Galaxy to take. The statement from the team made it clear that both sides mutually agreed to part ways, as it surely became clear to Katai that moving on was his best option.