Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has apologised "wholeheartedly" after being charged with drink driving. The World Cup winner was charged following a routine patrol stop in the early hours of Friday morning and will appear in court next month.
Lloris said in a statement: “I wish to apologise wholeheartedly to my family, the club, my team-mates, the manager and all of the supporters. Drink driving is completely unacceptable, I take full responsibility for my actions and it is not the example I wish to set.”
Lloris, who missed training on Friday, will now be subject to internal procedures, which could see him dropped for Monday's Premier League game at Manchester United or even stripped of the club captaincy. A Spurs spokesman said: "The club takes matters such as this extremely seriously and it will be dealt with internally."
The Frenchman, who is the club’s most senior player, was stopped in central London after 2am on Friday morning. Lloris was bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 11th.
The 31-year-old has been at the north London club since joining from Lyon in 2012, making 207 appearances in the Premier League and keeping 74 clean sheets. His crowning moment came this summer, though, when he captained France to World Cup glory in Russia.
It remains to be seen whether Lloris, who has won 104 caps, will be involved for his country’s Uefa Nations League games against Germany and Holland next month, with the Holland game taking place two days before he is due to appear in court.
Lloris started both of Tottenham’s opening two Premier League games as Mauricio Pochettino’s men beat Newcastle 2-1 and Fulham 3-1.
