Major League Soccer has opened a formal investigation into reported antisemitic and discriminatory language directed at New England Revolution striker Dor Turgeman during a match.
The incident took place on Saturday during a 2-2 draw between the Revolution and CF Montreal, with Turgeman at the centre of the controversy.
The abuse reportedly began after Turgeman scored a goal in the 35th minute of the match, with reports from those in attendance claiming chants from the crowd included “Death to Israel.”
Video footage of the goal showed Turgeman reacting to the crowd by putting his hand to his ear as he celebrated alongside his teammates following the strike.
The New England Revolution confirmed they immediately reported the incident to MLS and issued a firm statement condemning the behaviour directed at their Israeli forward.
“We appreciate MLS’ swift response and commitment to addressing incidents of discrimination,” the Revolution said, adding that they are “hopeful that those responsible will be held accountable for their unacceptable actions.”
MLS responded swiftly to the reports, speaking with both clubs and making clear its position on discriminatory behaviour in the league.
“Hateful language has no place in our league or our sport,” MLS said, underlining the seriousness with which the governing body is treating the reported incident.
CF Montreal also issued a statement on Sunday, confirming contact with both MLS and the Revolution and pledging to “take the necessary actions” following the reported abuse.
The situation on the pitch escalated after Turgeman jogged across the front of the goal in front of Montreal supporters with his hand raised to his ear, taunting the home crowd.
Montreal goalkeeper Sebastian Breza appeared to take exception to the celebration and shoved Turgeman to the turf, sparking a confrontation involving a number of players from both sides.
Breza was shown a yellow card for his role in initiating the scrum, while footage from French-language sports network Réseau des sports captured the full sequence of events as they unfolded.
The footage also showed at least one fan throwing an object onto the pitch during the chaos, further adding to the severity of the incident both on and off the field.
The Revolution reiterated their full support for the ongoing MLS investigation, with the club standing firmly behind Turgeman as authorities work to identify those responsible.
