MLS Fines Nowak Undisclosed AmountThursday, March 16, 2006; Page E02
www.washingtonpost.comMLS has fined D.C. United Coach Peter Nowak an undisclosed amount for comments he made during a preseason game against Real Salt Lake last month.
"After conducting a thorough review, we find that D.C. United Head Coach Peter Nowak made improper remarks during the D.C. United vs. Real Salt Lake preseason game on February 17 in Bradenton, Florida," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement yesterday.
League officials declined further comment, and those involved in the case, including Nowak and his New York-based attorney, Stuart Friedman , agreed with MLS not to discuss the matter.
Real Salt Lake coaches had accused Nowak of saying that one of their players, Atiba Harris , should be "sent back to Africa." Harris, who is black, is from the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis.Nowak vehemently denied the accusation, saying at the time that he had said Harris should be "sent back to hospital." Team officials and players supported Nowak's claim in public and in interviews with MLS officials.
A native of Poland, Nowak is sometimes difficult to understand when speaking English. He had been upset about Harris's style of play and, according to United's players, was implying that they should retaliate against Harris. Harris had received a yellow card early in the game.
League officials conducted a monthlong investigation and, at one point, summoned Nowak from Spain, where United had been holding training camp, to meet with Garber at MLS headquarters in New York.
Sources close to the situation, who declined to be identified because they have agreed not to discuss the incident publicly, said the league found itself in an awkward situation because there was no audiotape of Nowak saying the remarks for which Real Salt Lake had accused him of making. At the same time, one source said, the league was concerned about a possible public perception that it wasn't seriously addressing the issue.
In an interview last month, Nowak said he was weighing his legal options against Real Salt Lake Coach John Ellinger and that second-year club. . . .
Defender Kenney Bertz , a fourth-round draft pick from Maryland, was released, leaving the club with 27 players, one below the league limit. Defender Allen Handy is likely to be signed.
-- Steven Goff
