Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Aleksandar Katai is no longer part of the team after he and the team “mutually agreed to part ways” over his wife’s social media posts.
“Earlier today, the L.A. Galaxy were made aware of a series of racist and violent social media posts,” the MLS club said in a statement. “The L.A. Galaxy strongly condemned the social posts and requested their immediate removal.”
The controversy began when the 29-year-old athlete’s wife, Tea Katai, called for protesters to be killed in an Instagram post and, in a second post, added the caption “Black Nikes Matter” to an image of an alleged looter holding a shoebox, according to CNN.
Aleksandar Katai responded to his wife’s posts, which have since been deleted, by sharing responsibility for his family’s actions.
“These views are not ones that I share and are not tolerated in my family,” Katai said in an Instagram post. “This is a mistake from my family, and I take full responsibility. I will ensure that my family and I take the necessary actions to learn, understand, listen, and support the black community.”
Katai, a Serbian-born player, was in his first season with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
