DC United slapped with huge fine after breaking strict MLS rules for appointing Wayne Rooney as their manager

DC UNITED have been fined £21,000 for the process that led to the hiring of Wayne Rooney as manager.

The MLS side appointed Wazza as boss back in July after he quit his role as Derby County manager.

Rooney, 37, spent two seasons Stateside with DC United as a player, becoming a popular figure in the 2018 and 2019 campaigns.

His spell as a manager there has so far been less successful, however.

He won just two of his 14 games in charge following his appointment, his side finishing BOTTOM of MLS’ Eastern Conference.

And DC United have now been fined £21,000 for failing to meet the league’s Diversity Hiring Policy.

The rule states that when a managerial position becomes available, a team must have a “finalist pool [that] includes two or more candidates from underrepresented groups, whereby at least one candidate must be either Black or African American”;.

DC United believed they had met the criteria, only for one of their interviewees not to be deemed applicable.

A statement confirmed: “While D.C. United relied on representations made by one of the candidate’s agents that the candidate understood that they were interviewing as a finalist for the open coaching position, the club learned during the interview that the candidate was not available to pursue the open position.

“Once the club came to understand that the candidate was not available for the position, the discussion could no longer reasonably be considered a ‘finalist pool’ interview.

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“Therefore, the club remained obligated to bring an additional candidate from an underrepresented group into the ‘finalist pool’ or request a waiver from MLS detailing the extenuating circumstances that would not allow them to have done so.”;

Rooney is plotting a better season for his DC United side next term.

To help do so, he has sent scouts to run the rule over Burnley winger Manuel Benson.

DC̢۪s Pete Shuttleworth saw the sub win a crucial penalty against Norwich last Tuesday.

With MLS in its off-season, Rooney is currently back at home in the UK.

He is sporting a cut on his forehead, after son Cass, four, launched a plate like a frisbee – accidentally striking his dad.