Major League Soccer announced Wednesday it is reopening its investigation into Philadelphia Union athletic director Ernst Tanner. In a statement to the Guardian, the union said it had placed Tanner on administrative leave. The move comes a day after the Guardian published investigation into Tanner's behavior.
Tanner was previously under investigation MLS after the league received a complaint from the MLS Players Association in late January. In it, the MLSPA laid out a wide range of alleged issues involving Tanner, including the use of racist, sexist and homophobic language, as well as instances of inappropriate physical contact with an employee.
Tanner denied the allegations contained in the Guardian's original report and reiterated his denial in a new statement released by his legal representatives after the article was published on Wednesday.
“I continue to vigorously deny these allegations,” Tanner wrote. “My priority is the team, employees and Philadelphia Union community, especially during this important time when the team has the opportunity to continue to excel in the playoffs. I will fully cooperate with the League's investigation as I work to clear my name and reputation.”
The Guardian investigation outlined six of the eight MLSPA allegations against Tanner for which supporting evidence could be found, as well as other claims. The investigation included interviews with 17 subjects, as well as a review of materials supporting some of the allegations against Tanner.
Collectively, the charges cover most of Tanner's seven-year tenure in Philadelphia. Tanner told the Guardian through his legal representative that he “strongly denies these allegations, some of which are six or seven years old.”
MLS ended its investigation in September after being unable to substantiate the allegations against Tanner, but told the Guardian it reserved the right to reopen it if new evidence was presented.
“MLS recently completed an investigation into allegations made by the MLS Players Association, which MLSPA notes have not been independently verified,” MLS said in a statement to the Guardian. “Following the publication of the Guardian article, which included new allegations and potentially new information, MLS will reopen its investigation. MLS maintains an anonymous reporting hotline and encourages anyone with relevant information to come forward.”
“While MLS's recent investigation was unable to substantiate allegations against Athletic Director Ernst Tanner,” the Union said in a statement, “MLS has advised the Union that it will reopen the investigation and the Union continues to fully cooperate. The Union has placed Mr. Tanner on administrative leave pending the investigation. Our top priority remains the well-being of our players, fans, staff and community throughout this process.”
Thus, the statements published by the Guardian claim that Tanner:
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Made a variety of misogynistic comments, including saying “women have no place in men's football” about a female MLS referee, and telling assembled academy players that they should “never worry about a referee unless she's a woman.”
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Used a homophobic slur against an MLS referee in 2023.
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Talked about black players “as if they were subhuman” and suggested that black referees “lack intelligence and ability.”
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Touched a co-worker inappropriately “on several occasions” and was reported to the union’s human resources department.
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Hired an unqualified coach who allegedly abused players at Philadelphia Union II, the club's reserve team which is used as a testing ground for young players from its thriving academy.
During the initial investigation into the allegations against Tanner, MLS approached 13 potential interview subjects, promising them anonymity if necessary. Eight of those 13 subjects, who the Guardian believes are current and former Philadelphia Union players and employees, chose to speak with the league. The union was “fully cooperating” with the investigation, according to a club statement released earlier this week.
Although the league was unable to substantiate the allegations against Tanner, the league said in a statement that it is requiring him to participate in a “structured correction program focused on professional conduct in the workplace.”
Tanner also received training on appropriate workplace behavior early in his tenure at the club, the Union said in a statement, after he was found to have made “potentially insensitive comments based on gender,” although the club did not specify what those comments were.
Tanner is one of the most respected executives in MLS history. During his seven-year tenure, the club won its first two trophies (the 2022 and 2025 Supporters' Shield, awarded to the team with the most points in the league) and regularly produced players who make the U.S. national team. Union's academy, which Tanner helps oversee, has produced scores of players who have generated seven-figure transfer fees for the club. In 2022, Tanner was named the league's Executive of the Year.
Union are in the midst of the MLS playoffs and will face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday night.
