Ernst Tanner: What our investigation revealed about the Philadelphia Union’s sporting director | Philadelphia Union

On Tuesday, the Guardian published an investigation into allegations against Philadelphia Union sporting director Ernst Tanner. The story reveals that, since joining the union in 2018, Tanner’s considerable success has been accompanied by multiple allegations of misconduct, including racist, sexist and homophobic comments toward opposition officials and players, and an allegation of unwanted touching of a union employee that was referred to HR.

Most of the allegations reported by the Guardian are contained in a complaint filed by the MLS Players’ Association (MLSPA) with the league. The league launched its own investigation in January, which recently concluded, without corroborating the allegations.

Tanner issued a statement in response to the Guardian’s reports through his lawyer, saying in part: “Mr Tanner strongly denies these accusations, some of which date back six or seven years.”

Pablo Maurer’s investigation can be read in full herebut here are the basics of what you need 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 United States and Canada. Typically, individuals in this position are responsible for roster construction, player transactions, and the hiring (or firing) of a head coach and other football-related personnel, similar to a general manager in other American sports. The responsibilities of an athletic director can vary from team to team, but in Tanner’s case they include near-total control over all football-related aspects of the union organization, according to multiple sources, including current and former employees. This includes not only the MLS team, but also the reserve team (Union II) and the club’s academy system for young players.

What is he accused of?

The MLSPA complaint outlined eight instances of misconduct, with the Guardian able to find supporting evidence for six of them from 17 sources and related documents. The Guardian may separately report additional allegations based on these sources’ accounts. In summary, Tanner would:

• Responded to a referee making contact with an opposing player by saying “why don’t you kiss him, you faggot” in a manner that could be heard by nearby fans.

• Made numerous misogynistic comments, including saying “women have no place 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.”

• He spoke of black players “as if they were subhuman” and suggested that black referees “lack intelligence and ability.”

• Touched a co-worker inappropriately “on multiple occasions,” an allegation for which he was reported to the Union’s human resources department.

• He hired an underqualified coach who was allegedly abusive to players at Philadelphia Union II, the club’s reserve team that serves as a proving ground for young players in its thriving academy.

How did Tanner and others react?

Tanner himself made a statement to the Guardian through his legal representative.

“Ernst Tanner strongly denies these accusations,” the statement read, “some of which date back six or seven years. During the past seven years as athletic director of the Philadelphia Union, Mr. Tanner’s strong and wise leadership helped the Union win two Supporters Shields and an Eastern Conference title.

“Throughout his more than three-decade career in professional soccer around the world, Mr. Tanner has worked fairly and effectively in a diverse and multicultural 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 Tanner’s current and former colleagues to the union that largely asserted that he fostered a productive and inclusive work environment.

The Philadelphia union acknowledged that at least one of the allegations in the MLSPA complaint was addressed internally: that Tanner “made potentially insensitive comments based on gender,” as the union said in its statement. “The Club has taken corrective action to address this conduct, including through training and discussions with Club management on appropriate workplace conduct.”

For its part, Major League Soccer acknowledged having received the complaint from the MLSPA, adding that the allegations had not been verified. MLS said it conducted a months-long investigation, during which it contacted “more than a dozen” subjects, a majority of whom spoke out. The Guardian understands the investigation made contact with 13 people and interviewed eight of them. MLS concluded its investigation in September but told the Guardian it could not substantiate the allegations.

Nonetheless, MLS said Tanner was “required to participate in a structured remedial program focused on professional conduct in the workplace” – the second such training he was required to complete, in addition to the club’s annual awareness training.

What comes next?

The Philadelphia Union are in the middle of the MLS playoffs and will face New York City FC in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday. As for Tanner, 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 this information to all its clubs.

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