Paris Saint-Germain and Italy midfielder Marco Verratti admits he “made a mistake and have to make up for it” after his drink-driving arrest.
The player was stopped by police when driving in Paris and found to be above the legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers on probation after recently obtaining a licence.
Paris Saint-Germain and Italy midfielder Marco Verratti admits he “made a mistake and have to make up for it” after his drink-driving arrest.
The player was stopped by police when driving in Paris and found to be above the legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers on probation after recently obtaining a licence.
The club announced he will be fined a portion of his “monthly ethics bonus,” but he was in the starting XI for a 2-1 victory over Lille on Friday evening.
“I had some difficult days and that’s to be expected. I made a mistake,” Verratti told reporters.
“I apologised already the day after, because I knew full well what I’d done was wrong. I think that I’m still young and at times mistakes can happen, they help me learn and grow for the future.
“I wanted to give even more on the pitch because I knew that I had to make up for it. My teammates have forgiven me, but I am disappointed in myself. I know that I have to uphold the image of the club and the fans.”
Verratti and PSG will be at the Stadio San Paolo on Tuesday for the Champions League clash with Napoli, having drawn 2-2 at Parc des Princes.
“We’re up against a side that plays even better on home turf. Napoli are well-organised, we saw that already in the first leg and the way they beat Liverpool.
“We struggled to get a hold of the game in the first half, but we made adjustments and if we play with that intensity in Naples, we can get a good result.”