RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen says he feels ‘disrespected’ by his players after game postponement

The morning after Real Salt Lake and LAFC decided not to play their scheduled game Wednesday night at Rio Tinto Stadium, RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen responded with what he described as “deep disappointment.”

Speaking on the local show “Radio From Hell”, Hansen said that the boycott of the game went against what the RSL stands for, which is a sense of community building and family. He compared the team’s decision to a backstabbing.

“It’s a moment of sadness,” Hansen said. ‘It’s like someone stabbed you and then you try to figure out a way to get the knife out and move forward. That’s how it feels. The disrespect was deep to me personally. ”

RSL and LAFC decided not to play their game about an hour before kickoff on Wednesday to show solidarity with other sports leagues, including the NBA, WNBA and some MLB teams, who had done the same in protest of Jacob’s police shooting. Blake in Kenosha, Wis Earlier Wednesday it was revealed that Major League Soccer teams would continue with their games.

But when exposures in sports were constantly announced, that changed rapidly. Five of the six scheduled MLS games Wednesday were not played.

RSL Chief Business Officer Andy Carroll, who also appeared on the Broadway Media radio show, said he heard from some disappointed fans who traveled long distances to attend the RSL game. He apologized to her for postponing the game.

“People were really looking forward to it,” Carroll said. “That was really disappointing and we apologize to our fans and our sponsors and our staff that we could not have a game.”

Hansen was emphatic when he talked about how much preparation went into getting Rio Tinto Stadium as a point where it could safely host 5,000 fans. It would have been the first time since March that RSL would have spectators.

Hansen intimated that the players ignored the club’s preparations.

“Obviously, the importance of bringing community together at COVID was not respected,” Hansen said.

Hansen also said that RSL was “fully prepared” to play the game against LAFC and seemed to suggest that it was pressure from the Los Angeles team and other sports leagues that shook the minds of the players. However, Nedum Onuoha and Zac MacMath said on Wednesday that discussions about a possible boycott began hours before RSL arrived in the stadium.

In apparent response to the game’s boycott, Hansen said he would reverse some of the decisions he made recently, including bringing back 40 employees who were fired in April due to the suspension of the MLS season .

“We are not going to invite fans back in the future, so tomorrow … I will start cutting 40 to 50 jobs again,” Hansen said. “We would not take the risk of inviting people back to have that kind of outcome.”

Hansen also seemed to be threatening to retire on the field in the team.

“It has taken a lot of wind out of my sails, what an effort I want to make to recruit players and build a great team,” Hansen said. “It just seems like that’s not a very good path to take.”

RSL defender Nedum Onuoha, in response to Hansen’s comments, told the BBC he did not want to be at the club anymore.

“I do not want to be here because I am not here to play for someone who is not here to support us,” Onuoha said. “We’re trying to have a bigger conversation, but a lot of people in power have no empathy or sympathy or doing anything. They worry more about themselves. ”

Fans, former players and and other high-profile athletes decided on Hansen’s comments. RSL legend Nick Rimando said on Twitter that he was “disgusted” by what Hansen said.

“Wow just wow! I can not agree now, ‘wrote Rimando. “@Realsaltlake dressing room, fans, and front office who stand for equality, human rights, and the fight against racism I applaud you. I’m tired of DLH comments. This is more than a game. ”

Other athletes called on Hansen to sell the team, including Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. Toronto FC player Jozy Altidore said on Twitter that he is involved with a group that wants to buy RSL.

Hansen said he “supports an inclusive, fairly liberal agenda.” In the same breath, he seemed to suggest that the support of that agenda had unintended consequences.

“Perhaps that agenda has gone so far that we are punishing all sides of society that would like to support an inclusive society,” Hansen said.

The RSL owner also said it is currently unknown whether RSL will travel to Portland to play the Timbers on Saturday. The uncertainty of that game was also expressed by players on Wednesday.

Hansen seemed convinced that the movement players supported by not playing Wednesday usurped their feelings towards the local community.

“They support other issues nationally, but they clearly support our city nor our organization,” Hansen said. “That’s pretty clear.”