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Jeonbuk coach to step down following suspension over 'racist' gesture

Published: 25 Nov. 2025, 20:54

The K League has suspended Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors assistant coach Mauricio Taricco for five matches and fined him 20 million won ($13,600) after determining his recent hand gesture constituted a racist act, as caught in this screen capture. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

An assistant coach for Korean football champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors offered to resign Tuesday, citing his frustration over accusations of racism following an incident during a match that led to a suspension.

The club said coach Mauricio Taricco decided to step down after the end of this season, after the K League slapped him with a five-match suspension and a fine of 20 million won ($13,615) last Wednesday for a gesture he made during a match on Nov. 8.

The incident occurred in a match against Daejeon Hana Citizen in Jeonju, North Jeolla, after referee Kim Woo-seong delayed in calling a handball on a Daejeon player inside his team's penalty area.

The Argentine coach protested strongly and was initially shown a yellow card, and Kim ejected Taricco with a red card moments later, as the coach kept arguing even after a penalty was awarded to Jeonbuk following a video review.

Before leaving the technical area, Taricco pointed to his eyes in apparent protest of the referee's delay in calling a handball.

Kim reported the incident to the K League's disciplinary committee. The committee then sided with Kim and ruled that Taricco had indeed made a racist gesture, despite the coach's assertion that he had no such intent and he only wanted to ask the referee if he hadn't seen the disputed play in real time.

The committee said the generally accepted racist interpretation of the gesture, and how Kim perceived it took precedence over the intent that Jeonbuk claimed the coach had.

Members of the Korea Professional Football League's disciplinary committee hold a meeting at the league headquarters in Seoul on Nov. 19, reviewing a gesture made by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors assistant coach Mauricio Taricco directed at referee Kim Woo-seong during a match. [YONHAP]

The K League's ruling has divided the football community. Generally discontent with referees in the K League, some fans have accused Kim of making baseless charges against the coach for making a gesture similar to those seen in leagues around the world protesting what players and coaches perceive to be bad calls, and have also criticized the league for not improving the quality of officiating.

In a statement released by Jeonbuk, Taricco said it was "with a heavy heart" that he has decided to leave the club after this season. It was his first campaign with Jeonbuk, as he joined manager Gus Poyet's staff and helped them to their league-record 10th championship.

"The context of the situation, and the cultural expression and meaning that I've continuously tried to explain have been disregarded," the coach said. "With one moment of misunderstanding, I've been labeled a racist by the so-called authorities."

Jeonbuk said Taricco had been dealing with an undue amount of stress, and they hoped his name will be cleared as soon as possible.

To that end, Jeonbuk decided to appeal the league's ruling Tuesday.

"We express our deep regret over the league's decision on coach Taricco's action and the background behind it," the club said. "We felt that all the facts and intent had to be closely reviewed once again and we decided to take steps to appeal the decision."

Yonhap