The former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré has been dropped from playing in an annual charity football match after making "inappropriate jokes" in a WhatsApp group with other players.
Initially reported in The Sun, complaints were made against Touré to Soccer Aid, the annual charity football match for Unicef featuring former stars, where he came under criticism at a hotel on Friday morning during a breakfast with other players.
The former Barcelona and Manchester City player reportedly posted in a WhatsApp group containing other players scheduled to take part in the event on Sunday a pornographic video showing a naked woman in a bath and offered to hire 19 sex workers for his team mates.
In the aftermath of this incident, a spokesman for Soccer Aid relayed where the situation now stands.
"Inappropriate content was shared in a private group text," he explained. "The message was quickly deleted and a full apology was made to all. Soccer Aid for Unicef has discussed the above with the individual involved and he has decided to no longer continue to participate in this year’s event.
"While it was an error of judgment, it was felt that the behaviour didn’t align with the values of the event and its cause, and it was the right thing for him to step back from this year’s match."
Yaya Touré himself has also acknowledged the situation via his Twitter account and offered a full apology for his behaviour.
I made an inappropriate joke that I regret deeply and want to apologise.
Please read my apology in full: pic.twitter.com/NG9CMaqFqw— Yaya Touré (@YayaToure) September 5, 2020
"I would like to apologise to everyone involved in Soccer Aid for an inappropriate joke I deeply regret," he said. "It was meant as a joke however I lacked thorough consideration for the feelings of all the other participants.
"That being said I deleted the jokes within minutes and I immediately apologised to all inside the group."
Touré also regretted that his decision to make an "inappropriate joke" had perhaps given the media cause to focus on an issue that has nothing to do with the charitable focus of the game in question.
"Regardless of the circumstances, I want to take full responsibility," he admitted. "I am a grown man who should not be engaged in such jokes."
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