Shocking Moment: Ex-Scottish Premiership Defender PUNCHES Opponent in the Face in Cyprus Cup Match
- 3 months ago
A former Scottish Premiership player has spoken out after punching an opponent in the face at the end of a game in response to suffering alleged racist abuse.
The defender - who played in the Scottish top-tier until last month - was involved in the shocking incident when he walked up to an opposition player and threw the punch.
A derby clash between Apollon Limassol and AEL Limassol in the Cypriot Cup quarter-finals looked set for a regulatory ending before three goals in stoppage time sparked violence.
The shocking scenes broke out after the final whistle when former Livingston center-back Luiyi De Lucas hit out at Apollon's Eliel Peretz.
A heated conversation between the pair appeared to be taking place immediately after the final whistle with Peretz seen saying something to Lucas.
'In no way do I justify my actions. Unfortunately, my mind was clouded by the unacceptable and unprofessional behavior of the opposing player from the moment he entered the game.
'During his game, I received constant repeated insults of a deeply racist and personal nature. I don't want to give basis to words being used against me as I hope to move on.
'Never in my professional career have I experienced this level of verbal racism on the field, the frustration and humiliation I was experiencing was clouding my judgement and my mind. My reaction was an extremely poor attempt to stop what was happening to me.
'I want to reiterate clearly that there is no excuse for my actions. Being a part of such a fine sport as football that promotes fair play, I feel it is important to provide some clarity as to what I was experiencing before my actions.
'I have already filed a complaint with the Cyprus Police with the help of my lawyer and I have already started the process of reporting the racist behavior against me to the Competent Authorities of KOP, Uefa, and Fifa.
'I want to apologize again to everyone for my behavior and emphasize that my actions have no place in this sport. Moving forward, I am solely focused on supporting my team and my club.'
The defender - who played in the Scottish top-tier until last month - was involved in the shocking incident when he walked up to an opposition player and threw the punch.
A derby clash between Apollon Limassol and AEL Limassol in the Cypriot Cup quarter-finals looked set for a regulatory ending before three goals in stoppage time sparked violence.
The shocking scenes broke out after the final whistle when former Livingston center-back Luiyi De Lucas hit out at Apollon's Eliel Peretz.
A heated conversation between the pair appeared to be taking place immediately after the final whistle with Peretz seen saying something to Lucas.
'In no way do I justify my actions. Unfortunately, my mind was clouded by the unacceptable and unprofessional behavior of the opposing player from the moment he entered the game.
'During his game, I received constant repeated insults of a deeply racist and personal nature. I don't want to give basis to words being used against me as I hope to move on.
'Never in my professional career have I experienced this level of verbal racism on the field, the frustration and humiliation I was experiencing was clouding my judgement and my mind. My reaction was an extremely poor attempt to stop what was happening to me.
'I want to reiterate clearly that there is no excuse for my actions. Being a part of such a fine sport as football that promotes fair play, I feel it is important to provide some clarity as to what I was experiencing before my actions.
'I have already filed a complaint with the Cyprus Police with the help of my lawyer and I have already started the process of reporting the racist behavior against me to the Competent Authorities of KOP, Uefa, and Fifa.
'I want to apologize again to everyone for my behavior and emphasize that my actions have no place in this sport. Moving forward, I am solely focused on supporting my team and my club.'