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Footballers are among the highest-paid athletes in the world for their value on the pitch, ability to deliver trophies and performing in key moments. However, the big pay-checks and the star-studded lifestyle that comes with it have their own shortcomings, with some players often acting unprofessionally or being poor role models.
Each footballer has a duty towards the club and the fans to act properly and conduct themselves in a civilized manner in society because at the end of the day, each player is representing their club. However, some players often forget this and act in improper ways that might hurt the sentiment of fans or the society in general, leading to public apologies.
On that note, let us take a look at 5 players who had to apologize to their own fans.
#5 Kurt Zouma - West Ham United
Kurt Zouma is the latest man that has been in the eye of the public for all the wrong reasons. The France international signed for West Ham United in the summer and has been a solid defender at the back this season.
But quite recently, a video went viral which saw the centre-back causing harm to his cat in a rash manner. This did not go down well with anybody in the football community, least of all West Ham fans. There have been outright calls for him to be suspended while the RSPCA have also taken his cats away from his home. To add to this, he has also been fined £250,000.
The Frenchman later apologized to anyone who was offended by the incident, including West Ham fans, in a statement to Sky News.
"I want to apologize for my actions. There are no excuses for my behavior, which I sincerely regret. I also want to say how deeply sorry I am to anyone who was upset by the video. I would like to assure everyone that our two cats are perfectly fine and healthy. They are loved and cherished by our entire family, and this behavior was an isolated incident that will not happen again."
Hopefully the Hammers star has learnt his lesson but only time will tell whether stricter action will be taken upon him.
#4 Kyle Walker - Manchester City
Kyle Walker has been one of the most consistent full-backs in world football over the last decade. Since arriving at Man City in 2016, the right-back has won several domestic trophies and stands a chance of winning another Premier League title this season.
But the Englishman has had run-ins with the law in the past and is somebody who has had a problem following rules. In April 2020, the UK Government announced a lockdown and strict restrictions were laid down regarding social distancing. But Walker paid no heed and reportedly held a 'sex party' at his house. Man City fans were displeased with the actions of the defender and the player was later found guilty for not abiding by the law.
The former Tottenham Hotspur star issued a public apology statement shortly after the incident.
"I want to take this opportunity to issue a public apology for the choices I made last week. I understand that my position as a professional footballer brings the responsibility of being a role model. As such, I want to apologise to my family, friends, football club, supporters and the public for letting them down.”
Walker was found guilty again in May 2020 when he traveled to meet his sister and parents. One can only hope that the English international does not repeat such offences once again.
#3 Granit Xhaka - Arsenal
Granit Xhaka is currently one of the longest-serving players at Arsenal but the midfielder has not shared the best relationship with the supporters of the club. His rash style of play has often got his side in trouble through ill-gotten red cards and unwanted penalties.
But things really boiled over during his captaincy at the club. The Swiss international was not in good form and was often committing mistakes. He displayed a similar performance during a match against Crystal Palace in the 2019/20 season as the Eagles fought from 2-0 down to go 2-2. There was still half an hour left on the clock and Unai Emery decided to substitute the midfielder. While coming off, Xhaka was seen abusing the fans with hand gestures as they booed him off.
Xhaka understood his mistake after the game and apologized to the Arsenal fans about his poor behavior.
In this situation, I let myself be carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that support our club, our team and myself with positive energy. That was not my intention and I'm sorry if that's what people thought. Let's move forward positively together. Granit."
The 29-year-old ace is now in the good books of fans but was stripped off his captaincy following the incident.
#2 Eden Hazard - Real Madrid
Eden Hazard is one of the biggest investments in the history of Real Madrid, but the 100 million man is yet to justify his price tag. Injuries after injuries have prevented him from putting together a run of games and fans have been frustrated with the same.
A lot was expected from him when Los Blancos reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League last season. The UCL is an important trophy for the 13-time European Champions and they were going to go up against Hazard's former club Chelsea.
The Belgian international was expected to be the difference maker but he could do very little to affect the game in either leg as the Blues won the tie. After the game, the 31-year-old ace was seen laughing with his former team-mates. Real Madrid fans did not appreciate this behavior as it felt horribly disrespectful.
Hazard understood those sentiments and apologized to the fans a couple of days following the incident.
"I am sorry. I have read a lot of opinions about me today and it wasn't my intention to offend Real Madrid fans. It has always been my dream to play for Real Madrid and I came here to win. The season is not over and together we must now battle for La Liga. Hala Madrid!"
Although the Real Madrid ace has acted in a professional manner since then, he has not been able to cement a place in the starting XI yet.
#1 Romelu Lukaku - Chelsea
Romelu Lukaku re-signed for Chelsea in the summer for a club-record fee of £97.5million to propel the Blues to greater glory. It is fair to say that his return to Stamford Bridge has not gone according to plan.
His interview with Sky Italia went viral where he was seen criticizing certain decisions by Thomas Tuchel. He also mentioned that he would like to return to his former club Inter Milan before he retires. All of these words hit the hearts of Chelsea fans while the club were also in shock with these statements.
Lukaku understood his mistake and later released a video apology to the fans and assured them of his commitment to the club.
"To the fans, I'm sorry for the upset that I caused. You guys know the connection that I have with this club since my teenage years, so I totally understand you guys being upset. Obviously, it's up to me now to restore your trust and I'll do my best to show commitment every day on the training ground and in the games to make sure we win games.
Lukaku has struggled for form since then, although he did score the only goal in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Al-Hilal. Perhaps he could mend the relationship with the Chelsea fans if he delivers a trophy this season.
