A month on from his initial arrest, Yaya Toure has today been banned from driving for the next 18 months after pleading guilty to a drink-driving charge.
The Man City midfielder was stopped by police while driving in east London in November and found to be above the legal limit, with the Man City midfielder deciding not to challenge the charge at Barkingside magistrates’ court.
Toure has accepted the verdict and issued a personal statement to say as much, apologising to his friends, family and fans as well as explaining that, as a devout Muslim, he can’t quite understand how he ended up consuming even a drop of alcohol on the night in question.
The statement in full:
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 matter has now been resolved in court on Monday. As I was above the permitted limit when tested on the night, I decided not to challenge the charge.
However, it was important to me that I told the court that I had not intentionally consumed alcohol. The judge in his sentencing remarks accepted that I had not been intentionally drinking.
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.
No doubt it’s a bit of a strange one, but it is what it is.