Jozy Altidore was absent from the Toronto FC matchday squad in his club’s eighth week win over Montreal Impact on Friday. Coach Greg Vanney stated after the game that the striker was eliminated for “personal reasons”.
Altidore was seen in the TSN broadcast on Friday in the grandstands at Stade Saputo:
The striker was an active voice amid the ongoing protests in support of racial equality and ending police brutality as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. After the game, Altidore posted the following on Twitter:
When you’ve only experienced privilege, equality feels like oppression.
– Jozy Altidore (@JozyAltidore) 29th August 2020
When asked about his teammate’s decision after the game, Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley said Altidore’s teammates and the entire organization support his decision not to play in the game.
“A thousand percent [I support him]”Said Bradley.” And not just me. Every single person on our team, in our club, supports Jozy with every part of the decision he made tonight.
“At some point he may go into more detail, I can’t talk about that,” Bradley continued. “But he’s such an important part of our team. He and I have a unique relationship, a special relationship that goes back many, many years. We’ve been playing together since we were 16 to 17. We’ve lived a lot together and I support always through thick and thin. “
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