Major League Soccer suspended Portland Timbers midfielder Andy Polo from all team activities after he was accused of domestic violence by his former girlfriend on Peruvian television, the league announced on Wednesday.
The league also said it is investigating the allegations.
Polo’s former girlfriend, Genessis Alarcon, alleged on Peruvian TV show “Magaly TV, La Firme” that Polo assaulted her and their children.
“He pulled my hair, I fell to the floor, he slapped me and gave me a black eye,” she said in Spanish, via Lima newspaper La Republica. “Yes, he has also been violent with my children.”
Alarcon also said that Polo also stopped helping her and her children financially. It’s unclear when the alleged abuse took place.
Polo, 27, has spent the past four seasons with the Timbers. He has scored twice in 69 appearances with the club, which reached the MLS Cup last season. Polo missed a significant portion of the season with a quad and meniscus injury that required surgery.
Polo is also a member of the Peruvian national team, and competed at the 2018 World Cup.
Andy Polo’s former girlfriend and partner made allegations on a Peruvian TV show, which prompted MLS to launch an investigation. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
