"I am sorry that something that happened during the game has been misinterpreted."
Colombian star Edwin Cardona has apologised for his racist gesture during a match against South Korea.
The incident occurred during a friendly match between Colombia and South Korea that ended in a 2-1 win for the South Korean home side.
“I didn’t mean to disrespect anyone, a country or a race, but if anyone felt offended, or interpreted it in that way, I am sorry,” Cardona said in a video posted on the Colombia team’s Twitter account.
“I want to say I am not an aggressive person,” he added. “I am sorry that something that happened during the game has been misinterpreted.”
South Korean captain and Swansea City player Ki Sung-Yeung condemned the Boca Juniors footballer.
“The Colombians were really physical, which can happen in football,” said Ki. “Racist behavior is unacceptable, however. Colombia is a team full of world-class players and it was disappointing to see this kind of thing.”
The Colombian football association “sincerely” apologised for the incident and the Korean Football Association expressed “deep regret”, calling for a “proper punitive measure” against Cardona.
A Colombian TV also made a racist gesture after the game. https://t.co/8kruWjZ5HD pic.twitter.com/nuzwDDBVKh
— Korea Football News (@KORFootballNews) November 11, 2017