Ex-Spurs star Taricco offers to quit over alleged racist gesture

Former Premier League defender Mauricio Taricco has denied that a gesture he made towards a referee in South Korea was racist and offered to quit after being suspended over the incident.

The 52-year-old Argentine, an assistant to manager Gus Poyet at South Korean champions Jeonbuk, was banned for five games and fined after K League officials last week ruled that he made a "slant-eye" gesture.

Former Ipswich and Tottenham player Taricco called it "a misunderstanding" and offered to leave the club.

"I have lived and worked in many countries with many people and have never had any issues related to culture or race," Taricco said in a statement issued by Jeonbuk on Tuesday.

"I have always considered that a blessing.

"But now, despite all the explanations I have offered, the context, cultural meaning and intent behind my actions have been ignored and I have been branded a racist by so-called 'authorities' based on a single misunderstanding."

Jeonbuk said they investigated the incident and believed that it was "unreasonable to view this as an act of racial discrimination".

Taricco was sent off by referee Kim Woo-seong in a game earlier this month after the Argentine argued that his team should have been awarded a penalty for handball.

He then reportedly shouted the Spanish word for "racist" at the referee before putting his fingers to his eyes and pulling them back.

The referee reported the gesture to the K League disciplinary committee, which ruled that Taricco's "actions constituted racist behaviour".