On November 19, 2025, the K-League’s disciplinary committee announced a five-match suspension for Mauricio Taricco, the 52-year-old Argentine assistant coach at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, following a racist gesture made during a match on November 8, 2025, against Daejeon Hana Citizen FC. He was also fined 20 million South Korean won (approximately $13,600 or £12,000).
According to the Daily Mail, during the match, Taricco was protesting a non-call for a handball penalty in favour of his team. He was initially sent off by referee Kim Woo-seong for dissent.
As he left the dugout, Taricco reportedly shouted “racista” (Spanish for “racist”) at the referee and then pulled the corners of his eyes outward with his fingers—a widely recognized “slant-eye” gesture mocking East Asian features.
In his statement to the committee, he claimed the motion was meant to indicate that the referee “had not seen” the handball, not to offend anyone. He emphasised no racial intent. As per the committee’s ruling, Taricco’s alleged intentions were beside the point.
The K-League, unsurprisingly, rejected this explanation, stating that:
‘The disciplinary committee stated that ‘the evaluation of a specific act should be based on the universal meaning of the act as expressed, rather than the perpetrator’s stated intentions’, the K-League said in a statement.
‘Based on these criteria, coach Taricco’s actions were identical to the widely known “slant-eye” derogatory gesture against Asians and sufficiently inflicted feelings of racial insult on the recipient.’
A former defender for Tottenham Hotspur (1997–2004), where he made over 100 appearances, plus stints at Ipswich Town, Sunderland, and others. He represented Argentina at youth international level.
Joined Jeonbuk in 2024 as assistant to his ex-Tottenham teammate Gus Poyet. Prior roles include assistant at Sunderland, AEK Athens, and Real Betis.
Jeonbuk, the defending K-League 1 champions (their 10th title), will miss Taricco’s input for the remainder of the season, including playoffs.
No public apology from Taricco has surfaced yet, but the ban is effective immediately.