Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has acceptedan 18-month driving ban for drink driving, but has still insisted that he 'did not intentionally consume alcohol.'
The former Barcelona player who identifies as Muslim, released a statement on his personalwebsite and Facebook, in which he claimed that while he accepts the consequences of the ban,he does not drink.
Toure started by attempting to address the 'confusion' as to why he had been charged, despite his known dedication to Islam and its restrictions on alcohol.
Over the last two weeks there has been some confusion as to why I was charged with drink driving, as it is well known that I am a Muslim and do not drink.
I have always refused alcohol. Anyone who knows me or follows football will have seen me refuse champagne for Man of the Match performances because of my commitment to my religion" the 33-year-old wrote.
Toure also claimed that the judge 'accepted' that he may have consumed any alcohol by accident.
As I was above the permitted limit when tested on the night, I decided not to challenge the charge.
"The judge in his sentencing remarks accepted that I had not been intentionally drinking."
Wonder if Dimitri Seluk is going to try to claim Guardiola spiked Yaya Toure's drinks https://t.co/ipPc4Qul09
The four time African Footballer of the Year concluded by apologising and seeking forgiveness from those around him.
Drink driving is a serious crime and even though I was not intentionally consuming alcohol I accept the ban and fine and I would like to apologise for this situation. I would also like to thank my family, the management and staff at Manchester City, my legal team and the fans for the support they have given me during this difficult time.�
The Ivorian, who scored 20 league goals in the 2013/14 Premier League season,has found controversy easy to come by in recent times, and has only recently been welcomed back in Pep Guardiola's Manchester City first team, following a highly-publicised rift between the player, his agent Dimitri Selukand Guardiola.