Bordeaux coach Willy Sagnol has apologised for making disparaging comments about African players in football, although he still maintains they were misinterpreted against a backlash of widespread criticism. Sagnol, capped 58 times by France and a member of the team which lost the 2006 World Cup final to Italy, gave a question and answer session on Tuesday to readers of Sud Ouest's regional newspaper when the subject of African players was raised. He said: 'The advantage of what I would call the typical African player is that he isn't expensive when you sign him, (he is) a player who is ready for combat, but football isn't just about that.
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Willy Sagnol has apologised for his comments on African football players
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Sagnol hinted that he didn't want to sign too many African players because of the African Cup of Nations
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The Bordeauz boss also suggested that African players lacked intelligence
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Sagnol's former team-mate Lilian Thuram was unhappy with the comments
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Anti-racism associations have hit out at the Bordeaux coach
Bordeaux coach Sagnol played alongside Lilian Thuram during his time with the @placeholder national team