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Former Manchester City footballer Yaya Touré has apologized for an “inappropriate joke” that forced him to leave this weekend’s Soccer Aid game.
The 37-year-old was supposed to play for the World XI team in Sunday’s charity game at Old Trafford, but will no longer participate in the content he shared in a group chat with his teammates.
The WhatsApp posts sparked a number of complaints from her squadmates, which included various female players and celebrities, according to The Sun.
Toure pictured playing in the 2018 Soccer Aid game
In a statement posted on Twitter, Toure said he is a “grown man who should not engage in such jokes” and lamented the negative publicity that had been diverted from the fundraising game for UNICEF.
“I would like to apologize to everyone involved in Soccer Aid for an inappropriate joke that I deeply regret,” he wrote.
“It was intended as a joke, however, I did not take into account the feelings of other participants.
“With that said, I deleted the jokes in minutes and immediately apologized to everyone in the group.
“We come together for a good cause and this diverts the focus of the game, which is to bring everyone together to help children around the world.
“It is sad to see an inappropriate joke that I made attracting attention, which should be devoted entirely to the beauty of the charity game.”
The former Barcelona star added: “Regardless of the circumstances, I want to take full responsibility. I am a grown man who should not be involved in such jokes.
“I am very sorry for my mistake and wish you all the best with Soccer Aid on Sunday in raising awareness and raising funds for important causes.”
In a statement to Sky News, a Soccer Aid spokesperson said that “the person involved” would no longer participate in Sunday’s game after “inappropriate content was shared in a private group text.”
“The message was quickly deleted and a full apology was made to everyone,” the spokesperson added.
“Soccer Aid for Unicef has discussed the above with the person involved and has decided not to continue participating in this year’s event.
“While it was an error in judgment, it was felt that the behavior did not 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.”
This year’s Soccer Aid game is being played behind closed doors for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic.
England’s XI team is led by Wayne Rooney and Sam Allardyce, while World Cup XI is led by Harry Redknapp and Bryan Robson.
