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Thursday, March 5, 2015

Cisse Apologizes for Spitting Incident



As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Papiss Cisse has apologized for spitting at Jonny Evans. He has apologized to his teammates, the supporters, to Evans, and to every football fan who saw the incident.

Cisse went on to say, "I reacted to something I found very unpleasant. Sometimes it is hard not to react, particularly in the heat of the moment. I have always tried hard to be a positive role model, especially for our young fans, and yesterday I let you down."

To meet it seems like a genuine apology rather than the kind of apology a player is forced to do by the higher ups in the organization to retain the club's image. Evans himself has denied spitting at Cisse, but after watching the replays I'm not entirely sure. If Evans could come forward in a similar fashion as Cisse, the incident would soon be forgotten.

There's really no room for this type of behavior in football today, it undermines what football is all about for us fans. At the end of the day, football is just a game, as much as we fans tend to forget that. Players would do well to remember that as well. I understand getting caught up in the moment, but there's no need to tarnish the game for the younger fans watching the games, as Cisse pointed out. 

According to BBC, both players could face match bans as a result of the incident. Evans could face missing six matches while Cisse could miss an additional match due to a sending off earlier in the season against Everton. The punishment will only be decided once Anthony Taylor, that match's referee, has submitted his report. In light of Cisse's apology, I'd expect his punishment to be reduced should either player be punished. 

Neither manager for the clubs had much to say on the matter, both saying they couldn't see what happened. 

Good on Cisse, I say. We'll have to wait and see what Evans does in the meantime. 

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