‘Absolutely Disgusting’: FC Dallas Soccer Player GOES OFF on His Team’s Own Fans For Booing Players Who Knelt During Anthem

FC Dallas defender Reggie Cannon went off on the team’s fans for booing while the players who took a knee during the national anthem before a match on Wednesday — calling it “absolutely disgusting.”

All players of both FC Dallas and Nashville knelt in protest of police brutality and racial injustice before their Major League Soccer match in Frisco, TX, but fans could be heard booing from the stadium.

“I think it was disgusting. I think it was absolutely disgusting,” Cannon told reporters after the match. “You got fans booing you for people taking a stand for what they believe in. Millions of other people support this cause and we discussed with every other team and the league what we’re going to do and we’ve got fans booing us in our own stadium. How disgraceful is that? Honestly, for lack of a better word, it pissed me off.”

Cannon added that he anticipated the pushback even though his team told both Nashville and the league that the players were planning to take a knee on Wedndesday. They were previously informed that the national anthem would be played while fans were there. 

Wednesday’s match was the first with fans since the league was suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic, and Cannon was shocked that they couldn’t get their support, even in the team’s stadium.

“As a team, we try to give the best possible product on the field and these last six months have been absolute hell for us,” he added. “Absolute hell.”

Cannon claimed that teammate Ryan Hollingshead immediately apologized for their fans’ behavior once they stood up following the anthem.

“I’m sorry for our fans because we had someone chanting ‘USA’ when they don’t understand what keeling means, they don’t understand why we’re kneeling, they can’t see the reason, they just think we’re the ignorant ones and it’s incredibly frustrating. And I’m sorry to have this tone but you have to call it for what it is,” Cannon said.

Major League Soccer also released a statement backing their players’ right to peacefully protest before games in June.

“While fostering an environment of diversity, equality and inclusion, Major League Soccer stands by the ideals of freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest that are the hallmarks of the United States and Canada,” the statement reads. “If players or staff decide to stand, kneel or otherwise exercise their right to peaceful protest during the playing of the National Anthems before league games, we support them.”

Watch above, via ESPN.