“It’s a serious situation, and he is struggling a bit mentally with it,” Rooney said. “The most important thing now is to give him the time to be with his family, and we await the outcome of the investigation.”
Inter Miami accused Fountas, who is White, of using the n-word during a confrontation with Damion Lowe, who is Black, during the second half of the Sept. 18 match at Audi Field. After Miami threatened to leave the field if Fountas remained in the game, Rooney substituted him.
The league probe has involved interviews with numerous participants, including Fountas, who is United’s leading scorer and only all-star. Rooney said he has not been contacted by MLS. A league spokesman said Thursday the investigation is ongoing but didn’t set a timetable for a ruling.
Fountas, who joined United early this season, denied the accusations in an Instagram post.
“That despicable racial slur is one I denounce and did not use,” he wrote. “We had a hot discussion on the field. But I have not racially abused anyone. I firmly reject racism in any form. It is despicable.”
Referee Ismail Elfath told a pool reporter that no match official heard racist or abusive language and that none was detected via video review.
“Taxi is adamant that he hasn’t said the words which he was accused of,” Rooney said. “It’s been very difficult for him and his family, seeing things online and getting a lot of abuse.”
Fountas’s wife and son left the D.C. area and joined him in Greece last week, club officials said.
Following the Montreal trip, United (7-19-6) will conclude the season Oct. 9 at home against FC Cincinnati.
Regardless of the investigation’s status, United urged Fountas (12 goals, three assists in 21 matches) to return stateside soon.
This isn’t the first such incident in MLS. Last year, an investigation could not corroborate or refute allegations that Minnesota’s Franco Fragapane directed racially abusive and offensive language against Portland’s Diego Chara.
League rules require players to complete nondiscrimination and anti-harassment training each preseason. Players who arrive after the season has begun, such as Fountas, are required to undergo the training promptly, MLS said.
Defender Andy Najar will miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury suffered while on Honduran national team duty. He played 62 minutes in a 3-0 defeat against Argentina last Friday in Miami Gardens, Fla., and missed the 2-1 victory over Guatemala on Tuesday in Houston.
Najar, whose career has been marred by injuries, appeared in 23 matches (20 starts) this season.
Icelandic midfielder Victor Palsson, the third D.C. player on international duty, will reconnect with United in Montreal on Friday after starting against Venezuela and Albania.
It remains unclear whether longtime goalkeeper Bill Hamid will play in the season finale, which probably would serve as his farewell from the club with which he began his career in 2009 at age 18.
Hamid, whose contract expires this winter, has trained with United once since Rooney became coach July 31, Rooney said. Hamid had hand surgery in late June and hasn’t been listed on the injury report for several weeks. This month, Hamid announced on social media he was taking “a little hiatus” to spend time with his son, who was born Sept. 21.
Rooney said two weeks ago that he would like to play Hamid in front of the home fans one last time. (The club is not planning to re-sign him.)
“Hopefully he comes in next…
Read More: Taxi Fountas won’t travel with D.C. United amid investigation
