Brisbane coach Michael Valkanis has said Roar striker Justin Vidic is “not in a good way” after alleging he was racially abused by Melbourne City teenager Medin Memeti.
Vidic missed Brisbane’s 2-0 loss to Auckland FC on Friday night, a match that saw the Queenslanders fall at home at Suncorp Stadium.
It was the first A-League match Vidic has missed since joining the Roar this off-season, following a two-year stint with Newcastle.
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Justin Vidic in action for the Roar. Steve Christo/ Corbis via Getty Images
While influenza was cited as the official reason for Vidic’s absence, Valkanis hinted that the 21-year-old was also reeling from the alleged racial abuse that marred the end of Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to City in Melbourne.
Football Australia (FA) is investigating Vidic’s allegation that Memeti directed a racial slur at him, calling him a “gypsy”.
The incident allegedly occurred after the final whistle and was therefore not addressed by the referee during regulation time.
FA is using its Member Protection Framework to investigate the matter, relying on a review of broadcast footage and official referee reports from the match.
Vidic is of Serbian descent, while Memeti is of Albanian heritage. Within the context of Balkan history, the term “gypsy” is regarded as a derogatory ethnic slur.
During his post-match press conference on Friday, Valkanis explained that Vidic’s absence from the game was because of a combination of physical illness and emotional distress.
Melbourne City’s Medin Memeti and Brisbane Roar’s James McGarry contest the ball during their round 20 A-League Men match. Daniel Pockett via Getty Images
“[Vidic] was really disappointed after the game and really angry at what was [allegedly] said,” he said.
“He came in [after the City game], he trained, but you could see he was flat. He was fatigued, and I think a lot of these things, like the flu, come from fatigue as well.
“There’s no other reason for it. He couldn’t even give 20 minutes.
“He’s really not in a good way at the moment, so for him, it was an early reset, and hopefully he’s on board for training for next week.”
Brisbane’s next fixture is an away clash against Perth on Friday night.
FA will not prevent Memeti from playing while the investigation is ongoing, leaving the 18-year-old available for City’s clash against the Jets at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Sunday afternoon.