MLS Suspends RSL Head Coach Mike Petke After Red Card Against Tigres

SANDY, Utah – Major League Soccer has suspended Real Salt Lake head coach Mike Petke and will miss Saturday’s match against FC Dallas.

The suspension is pending an investigation into his conduct directed at the match officials following the Leagues Cup match against Tigres UANL on July 24.

Petke received a red card after the 1-0 loss to Tigres after he was trying to confront the official.

Mike Petke suspended by MLS

🗞 https://t.co/6tqC2oQMzi pic.twitter.com/GbVw1u95hl

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) July 27, 2019

After the match, he talked about why he received a red card.

“The red card, if you go back and look at the video tape, I am pulling five of my players away and talking to my players and he (official) gives me a red card,” Petke said. “He must have thought I was talking to him, I don’t know. Then afterwards, it was just extra, I told him how I felt. But the red card, I was just pulling them (his players) away. I was just telling my players to get back to the locker room.”

“Maybe he was still thinking about the four minutes they put up and the cat running on the field, allowing the player to take a shot on goal over ten seconds later and then for some reason giving them (Tigres) the ball back for an additional reason after all arguing with our players for one minute and then stopping the match at exactly four minutes but, all that I was doing was grabbing my players,” Petke added.

Mike Petke explains what led to him receiving a red card after the game. pic.twitter.com/4KhIZ4EkaB

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) July 25, 2019

Assistant coach Freddy Juarez will take over the head coaching duties against FC Dallas. The match will begin at 6 p.m. on KSLSports.com or the KSL TV app.

The club will not provide further comment until a review of the incident is complete.