The LA Galaxy and midfielder Aleksandar Katai mutually agreed to part ways Friday.
The sudden breakup followed disturbing social media comments made by the Serbian player’s wife, Tea Katai.
In a now-deleted post on Instagram earlier this week, she referred to protesters as “disgusting cattle” and called for law enforcement to “kill” them.
Katai, 31, who signed with the Galaxy as a free agent in December, played in two games with the team before the season was paused due to the coronavirus.
Katai released a statement about his wife’s comments on Wednesday.
“I strongly condemn white supremacy, racism and violence towards people of color. Black lives matter. This is a mistake from my family and I take full responsibility,” he said. “I will ensure that my family and I take the necessary actions to learn, understand, listen and support the black community.”
Katai met with Galaxy officials on Thursday as a group of protesters gathered outside the team’s facility carrying a banner reading “No Racists in Our Club.”
Katai played for the Chicago Fire during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, appearing in 62 games (51 starts) and tallying 18 goals and 12 assists.
–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)
