Timbers didn’t report Andy Polo domestic violence allegations to MLS before made public: Source

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The Portland Timbers did not report the 2021 domestic violence allegations against midfielder Andy Polo to Major League Soccer before the accusations became public last week, a source told The Athletic.

MLS says it is reviewing the team’s handling of the situation.

“Following the allegations made last week against Andy Polo, Major League Soccer promptly launched a review into the decisions that the Portland Timbers made in response to the charges brought against the player last May,” the league said in a statement. “The Timbers are committed to this review and have pledged their full cooperation.”

Asked specifically if the Timbers had notified the league office of the incident from last May, a league spokesperson said “that question is a subject of the review and it would be premature to discuss at this time.” The league added that it has engaged an outside law firm to conduct its investigation and that it intends to make the findings of the investigation public.

“The Portland Timbers welcome Major League Soccer’s review into the handling of the May 2021 Andy Polo complaint and will cooperate fully,” the team said when reached for comment.

The allegations of domestic violence stem from an incident that happened on May 23, 2021, and were made by Polo’s former partner and the mother of his children, Génessis Alarcón, on a Peruvian television show last week. Authorities were called to the couple’s home at the time of the incident and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office cited Polo for harassment.

Following the allegations by his ex-partner, Polo denied the accusations in a statement. The Timbers first suspended him after the allegations became public and then terminated his contract a day later. Polo has also been suspended indefinitely by MLS pending the investigation.

For more on the Timbers’ failure to report the allegations against Polo, you can read The Athletic’s full story in the Go Deeper section below.

(Photo: Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

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