Since March 1, the United States has faced two major and historic moments. First came the outbreak of COVID-19, which halted the MLS season after two games. More recently, the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police sparked a renewed focus on race relations across the country.
Fire coach Raphael Wicky sees them as two very sensitive and different topics. But for him and his job, there is a connection.
“The things which are similar for me as a coach in both of the topics is that, with [coronavirus] and now as well, it’s that we want to be there for the players,” Wicky said. “We want to listen to the players, and we want to make them feel comfortable in both situations.”
Less than a week after the Fire’s second game of the season, and Wicky’s second with the team, MLS stopped the season. Concern about the next opponent and how the opening fixtures might play out became secondary to Wicky, whose focus turned to a more pressing matter.
“In [coronavirus] in the beginning, it was very important that me as a coach, as a staff and as a club, we were there for our players,” Wicky said, “to make sure that ‘Are you feeling OK? Are your families OK?’ It was not about tactics or a game or drills. It was about the human being. ‘Are you fine? Is your family fine? Can we help you in any way?’ ”
Now, as the season appears to be close to restarting, much of the U.S. is taking a critical look at the country’s race relations. Major cities have seen protests, and civil unrest has dominated the headlines.
Though the events are not the same, Wicky said he’s trying to handle the situation similarly with his players.
“We’re listening to our players,” Wicky said. “We’re supporting them, the ones that want to speak out. The club has made a pledge to do more than just release a statement, to also include the players and listen to their experiences. That’s what we’re doing. This is what we can do: listening and be there for them and help them to make changes in this problem.”
As Wicky alluded to, Fire players have lent their voice to help bring change. Forward CJ Sapong has given his perspective to multiple outlets, and midfielder Micheal Azira told the Players’ Tribune that “we are human beings. We all bleed red. You have one heart, I have one heart.”
“It’s a sensitive topic. It’s a very sad topic, I have to say, in 2020,” Wicky said. “That’s what we want to do, and that’s what we will do in the future. That’s what we are doing now: listening to them, being there for them, supporting them when they want to speak out and when they do speak out. As a club, we want to help [bring] changes because we need changes.”
