Argentina coach Sampaoli apologises for insulting policeman
Buenos Aires, Dec 27 (IANS) Argentina’s football team chief coach Jorge Sampaoli has issued an apology for a confrontation with police in which he taunted an officer about his salary.
A video circulating on social media showed Sampaoli arguing with police after the car in which he was travelling was stopped for having exceeded the legal maximum of four passengers, reports Xinhua news agency.
After stepping out of the vehicle, he shouted: “You’re making me walk two blocks. You earn five dollars a month.”
In a statement published on the official website of the Argentine Football Association on Tuesday, Sampaoli said: “I totally regret what happened. Anger, coming from a discussion in which I was wrong, made me say words that do not represent in any way my convictions or my beliefs.”
“Salaries do not represent the qualities or the value of any human being. I ask for forgiveness from our society for this bad example.”
The incident occurred early on Sunday near Casilda, around 360 km northwest of Buenos Aires. Sampaoli, who was not driving the vehicle, was returning to his hotel after attending his daughter’s wedding.
The 57-year-old added that he intended to apologise personally to the officer he insulted.