Andy Polo’s contract terminated by Portland Timbers

Content warning: This post contains reports of domestic violence.

The Portland Timbers have terminated the contract of midfielder Andy Polo, the team announced today. The player was facing allegations of domestic violence from his ex-partner, Génessis Alarcón.

Reports arose initially on Wednesday of the allegations from Alarcón, which she shared on a Peruvian television program. Later that day, Polo was placed on suspension and removed from all team activities. A full investigation was then launched by the league.

In addition, the released statement of the Timbers reveals that the organization was aware of a dispute between Polo and Alarcón on May 23, 2021, which resulted in the Washington County Sherriff’s Office citing Polo for harassment. According to the statement, at the time of the incident, the citation was not pursued by the victim or the prosecutor’s office.

The Timbers statement goes on to express: “We deeply regret not suspending Polo immediately,” in the wake of the May 23 incident. “It was a failure on our part,” the statement continues, “and one that will never happen again.”

The Oregonian/Oregon Live was able to obtain a copy of the police report from the May 23 incident. The report includes information about Timbers club personnel, including the Timbers head of security and club manager of affairs, arriving at Polo’s residence that day. You can read the full details obtained by The Oregonian/Oregon Live here.

You can read the text of the Timbers statement below, and view the statement on the Timbers website here.

The Portland Timbers have terminated the contract of midfielder Andy Polo following allegations this week of domestic abuse, the club announced today. The Timbers were previously aware of a dispute between Andy Polo and his partner on May 23, 2021, that resulted in the Washington County Sherriff’s Office citing Polo for harassment. That citation was not subsequently pursued by the victim or the prosecutor’s office. We deeply regret not suspending Polo immediately, especially considering the troubling new details of abuse that surfaced this week. It was a failure on our part, and one that will never happen again.

If you or somebody you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can access resources at the Oregon DHS website: www.oregon.gov/dhs/abuse/domestic/pages/index.aspx, or the National Domestic Hotline website: www.thehotline.org.

If you need immediate assistance, you can call 9-1-1; or, for shelter services, the Call to Safety Crisis Line at 1-888-235-5333.