More US Soccer players are at risk of domestic violence charges, with a report from USA Today revealing that at least 20 players and managers were accused of abusing their position as players, managers and staff members, with many of them facing jail terms.
The US Soccer Federation, which is owned by the US Soccer Co-Chairman, David Beckham, announced the allegations, which were made public in an internal memo obtained by USA Today.USA Today also reported that several MLS clubs have been told they could face legal action if they do not investigate domestic violence allegations, with some teams reportedly facing a penalty of $200,000 for failing to investigate allegations.
While the incidents in the USA were limited to players and staff, the US national team faces similar concerns.
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has already launched a review into the issues raised by the report, with the league saying it will be “monitoring the reports and taking appropriate action”.
“The NWSL and the USSF take domestic violence very seriously and will continue to work with the NWSL to address these issues and we will ensure that the league takes all steps necessary to address them,” the league said in a statement.
“We will work with our legal teams to identify and respond to the specific allegations that were presented in the report.”
Players, coaches and staff are also under scrutiny from a number of US sports leagues, including Major League Baseball, the NFL and NHL.
There have been several reports that US Soccer has been slow to address issues of domestic abuse, and the latest report is likely to increase pressure on the US federation to address the issue.
“There is a lot of concern that the [US] Soccer Federation has not taken action,” a source told ESPN.
“They haven’t done anything and we’re waiting for something to happen.
It’s not like we’re doing nothing.
It is very clear there’s a lot going on.”
In a statement, US Soccer said it was “very concerned” about the allegations and is “actively reviewing the issues”.
“We take these matters seriously and are actively reviewing the allegations.
We will take all necessary steps to address any concerns,” it said.
