Leicester City have issued Jamie Vardy with a “substantial fine” after he was caught on camera apparently using a racial slur in a casino, the English Premier League club announced Thursday.
Vardy, 28, was shown abusively calling another man “Jap” three times in a video published by newspaper The Sun on Sunday last weekend.
The striker, who made his England debut last season, subsequently apologised and Leicester opened an investigation into the incident which ended with Vardy being fined and also told to undertake a programme of “diversity awareness training”.
Jamie Vardy issued substantial fine
After Leicester manager Cladio Ranieri said earlier on Thursday that Vardy would not be sacked, the Foxes announced they would take disciplinary action against the player after concluding their own inquiries.
“Leicester City Football Club has concluded its investigation into claims made against Jamie Vardy in the national media last weekend,” a club statement said.
“Having established a full account of the incident in question and taken into consideration Jamie’s prompt apology, the club has issued the player with a substantial fine and prescribed a programme of diversity awareness training.
“Jamie has been reminded of his responsibilities to the club, his profession and the Leicester community. The fine will be donated to local charities.
“The club will make no further comment on the matter, which it now deems to be closed.”
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Earlier, Ranieri told reporters that Vardy would be remaining on the staff of the Midlands club.
“The situation is, everything is OK. Jamie apologised to everyone, it was a mistake,” Ranieri said.
“The relationship is OK. We go on and forward. The club has said it is OK. James has apologised and for me it is OK. (If) Jamie does something on the pitch … then I speak with him.”
Asked if Vardy would be sacked, the Italian replied: “No. It is not my matter, but he won’t be.”
James Pearson, son of former manager Nigel Pearson was sacked for using racist language
The footage involving Vardy emerged a matter of weeks after Leicester sacked three players — including James Pearson, son of former manager Nigel — for appearing in a sexually explicit video filmed on the club’s close-season tour of Thailand that featured racist language.
Vardy opened the scoring for Leicester, who are owned by the Thai Srivaddhanaprabha family, as they began the Premier League season with a 4-2 win at home to Sunderland last Saturday.
A A?1 million ($1.5m, 2.1m euros) signing from non-league Fleetwood Town in 2012, Vardy scored five goals last season and made his England debut in a 0-0 friendly draw with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin in May.
By AFP