On Tuesday, the Guardian published an investigation into allegations against Philadelphia Union sporting director Ernst Tanner. The story reveals that, since his arrival at the Union in 2018, Tanner’s considerable success has come with multiple allegations of misbehavior, including alleged racist, sexist and homophobic commentary toward referees and opposition players, and an allegation of unwanted touching of a Union employee that was escalated to HR.
The bulk of the allegations the Guardian is reporting on are contained in a complaint filed by the MLS Players’ Association (MLSPA) to the league. The league launched its own investigation in January which recently concluded, having not corroborated the allegations.
Tanner issued a statement in response to the Guardian’s reporting through his attorney, reading in part: “Mr Tanner firmly denies these accusations, some of which are six or seven years old.”
Pablo Maurer’s investigation can be read in full here, but here are the basics of what to know about the story.
Who is Ernst Tanner?
Tanner is the sporting director of the Philadelphia Union, a team in Major League Soccer, the top men’s league in the US and Canada. Typically people in his position are responsible for building rosters, player transactions, and hiring (or firing) a head coach and other soccer-related staff, akin to a general manager in other American sports. The responsibilities of a sporting director can vary from team to team but in Tanner’s case, they include near-total control over all soccer-related aspects of the Union organization, according to multiple sources including current and former employees. This includes not just the MLS team but also the reserve team (Union II) and the club’s academy system for youth players.
What is he accused of doing?
The MLSPA complaint alleged eight instances of misbehavior, with the Guardian able to find supporting evidence for six of them from 17 sources and related documentation. The Guardian can separately report additional allegations based on accounts from those sources. In summary, Tanner is alleged to have:
Responded to a referee making contact with an opposition player by saying “why don’t you kiss him, you faggot” in a manner that could be heard by nearby fans.
Made multiple misogynistic comments, including saying “women don’t belong in men’s soccer” about a female MLS referee and telling a gathering of academy players that they “should never worry about a referee, unless she’s a woman.”
Spoke about Black players “like they were subhuman” and suggested that Black referees “lack intelligence and capability.”
Touched a co-worker inappropriately “numerous times,” an allegation for which he was reported to the Union’s HR department.
Hired an underqualified coach who was allegedly abusive toward players on the Philadelphia Union II, the club’s reserve team that is used as a proving ground for young players from its thriving academy.
How have Tanner and others responded?
Tanner himself issued a statement to the Guardian through his legal representation.
“Ernst Tanner firmly denies these accusations,” read the statement, “some of which are six or seven years old. Over the past seven years as the sporting director of the Philadelphia Union, Mr Tanner’s strong and savvy leadership has helped the Union win two Supporters Shields and an Eastern Conference title.
“Throughout his career spanning over three decades in professional soccer around the globe, Mr Tanner has worked fairly and effectively in a diverse, multi-cultural world upholding high standards of professionalism. Mr Tanner remains proud of the team’s success this season and his work with the Philadelphia Union.”
Tanner’s legal representation also provided five statements from current and former colleagues of Tanner’s at the Union that broadly claimed he fostered a productive and inclusive work environment.
The Philadelphia Union acknowledged that at least one of the allegations made in the MLSPA complaint had been dealt with internally: that Tanner was “found to have made potentially insensitive gender-based comments,” as the Union said in its statement. “The Club took remedial steps to address this conduct, including through training and discussions with the Club’s leadership on appropriate workplace conduct.”
For its part, Major League Soccer acknowledged that it had received the complaint from the MLSPA, adding that the claims had not been verified. MLS said it conducted a months-long investigation, which involved contacting “more than a dozen” subjects, a majority of which spoke. The Guardian understands that the investigation made contact with 13 people, interviewing eight of them. MLS concluded its investigation in September but told the Guardian it could not substantiate the allegations.
Nonetheless, MLS said that Tanner was “required to participate in a structured remedial program focused on professional workplace conduct” – the second such training he has been required to complete, in addition to the club’s annual sensitivity training.
What comes next?
The Philadelphia Union are in the middle of the MLS playoffs and will take on New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semi-finals on Saturday. As for Tanner, both MLS and the Philadelphia Union said in their respective statements to the Guardian that the investigation into Tanner’s behavior could be reopened if additional information comes to light. The league has an anonymous reporting line and says it has distributed that information to all of its clubs.
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