D.C. United fined for breaking MLS diversity rules with Wayne Rooney appointment

D.C. United have been fined $25,000 by Major League Soccer (MLS) for failure to comply fully with the league’s diversity hiring policy when Wayne Rooney was appointed as head coach over the summer.

Rooney replaced Hernan Losada in July, having resigned as manager of League One Derby County a few weeks earlier, but D.C. United were deemed to have breached MLS’ policy that requires its clubs to ensure “the finalist pool includes two or more candidates from underrepresented groups, whereby at least one candidate must be either Black or African-American.”

MLS said D.C. met with two qualifying candidates from underrepresented groups, but one could not be considered among the “finalist pool” because the team learned during the interview that the individual was not available to pursue the job.

A statement from the league added: “As a result, the club remained obligated to interview an additional candidate from an underrepresented group as part of the “finalist pool” or request a waiver from MLS detailing the extenuating circumstances that would not allow them to have done so.

“D.C. United, who announced Wayne Rooney as their new head coach on July 12, failed to do so, resulting in the fine.”

England men’s record goalscorer Rooney - who played for DC towards the end of his playing career - has endured a tough time since taking over s boss, with the side finishing rock-bottom of MLS’s Eastern Conference with just seven wins from 34 games.

The Washington-based club accepted the fine and released their own statement to clear up the matter.

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It read: “D.C. United respect Major League Soccer’s decision in regard to the club’s process of hiring its new head coach earlier this season.

“As the league stated, the club’s recent head coach hiring process included two candidates in the finalist pool, per the league policy, from underrepresented groups, one of whom was Black or African American. One of the finalists from an underrepresented group ultimately withdrew from the process, thereby making them unavailable.

“The candidate in question accepted the club’s request to interview them and participated in the interview. The candidate was asked the same questions as all other finalists, inclusive of questions around tactics, playing style, staffing, leadership, and perspective on how they would coach the team.

“Subsequent to that discussion, the candidate informed the club that it was their preference not to accept the role midseason, but rather to join the club with a full offseason in order to implement their system of play. Upon learning this at the conclusion of the interview, the club focused its attention on the remaining finalist candidates for the midseason head coaching opportunity.

“D.C. United have made it a fundamental practice to prioritize interviewing candidates from underrepresented groups for all leadership positions, inclusive of coaches, across the organization. This practice has resulted in the club having one of the most diverse leadership groups across Major League Soccer.”