Soccer News of Friday, 1 April 2016

Source: starrfmonline.com

I never apologised for bull***t comment - Grant

Black Stars coach Avram Grant Black Stars coach Avram Grant

Black Stars coach Avram Grant has clarified that he never apologized to Ghanaians for his bull***t comment because he didn’t insult anybody.

According to him, he only retracted the word bull***t after his attention was drawn that Ghanaians had taken offence to the word.

Grant after the win against Mozambique in the 2017 Nations Cup qualifier said at the post-match press conference that “If this nation will concentrate on the football and not the bull***t, and just the football because there is a lot of passion, we can reach higher, high level. It is a long term target, but it’s achievable.”

The Israeli’s comment did not go down well with Ghanaians who called for the summoning of the trainer before the Ghana FA ethics committee for an official apology.

But under-fire Grant through the Spokesperson of the Ghana FA, Ibrahim Saanie Daara on Thursday retracted the vulgar slang.

“First, I withdraw this word. Just the thing I will like to say is I love Ghana and I respect Ghanaians and I care about the Ghanaian team.

"What I wanted to say is we need everybody not to focus on the unnecessary thing[s], only to focus about the most important things. [let's] focus on the important things that can take us forward and not about negative things," he told Daara.

However, speaking in an exclusive interview on Starr Drive with hosts Bola Ray and Anita Erskine Friday, Grant said his comments were taken out of context.

According to him, bull***t is a word he uses often in his punditry work and at home with his kids and did not mean to use it in a derogatory manner.

He added that Ghanaians are "kind" and "very welcoming" and will never disrespect them in anyway.