Yaya Toure is perhaps the last Premier League footballer you’d expect to be caught drink driving.
The midfielder has had his off-field difficulties this season largely thanks to his agent falling out with Pep Guardiola, but he’s recently returned to action with Manchester City.
The devout Muslim is known not to drink alcohol and has even refused man-of-the-match champagne in the past, so this story has come as quite a shock.
The person most shocked by it, however, is probably the Ivorian himself, as he insists he hadn’t intentionally been drinking, as reported in the Daily Mail.
Toure has been banned from driving for 18 months and fined £54,000, but in a statement, he said that the judge acknowledged that the misdemeanour hadn’t been intentional.
The 33-year-old said:
“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.”
This is not the first driving offence he’s been charged with – he was caught speeding last December – but it looks like it’s going to be his last for quite a while.
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