Chelsea defender Antonio Rüdiger has apologised after liking UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov’s controversial Instagram post regarding French president Emmanuel Macron.
Nurmagomedov, a practicing Muslim from the Republic of Dagestan, verbally attacked Macron on the social media site at the end of last month following the President’s comments surrounding recent terror attacks in France.
He called for “the Almighty to disfigure the face of this creature” alongside an image that featured a boot print over the French leader’s face.
This was accompanied by a passage written in both Russian and Arabic, alongside an excerpt from the Quran that read “indeed, those who revile Allah and His Messenger, Allah cursed in this world and in the Hereafter and prepared for them humiliating torments.”
The post has received 3.7 million likes on Instagram in the last week, with Chelsea defender Rüdiger and Arsenal’s Mesut Özil among high profile names to have done so.
That is something the Germany defender has now retracted, as well as unfollowing Nurmagomedov on the platform.
He’s also spoken to Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff to explain the situation and won’t face ‘consequences’ as a result, according to BILD, to whom he gave a public apology.
“That was a mistake. Of course, you shouldn’t like articles that are written in languages that you don’t understand at all,” the Chelsea defender told the German newspaper.
“I reject any kind of violence and would therefore like to distance myself clearly from this content.
“If there is one overarching topic in my life, then it is the fight against violence and racism, which I also experienced myself.
“Believe me that I will continue to walk this path from the bottom of my heart.
“Therefore I would like to make it clear once again that I am a firm believer, but also a resolute opponent of all violence.
“I apologise for this like, which I have since withdrawn. Because, of course, I don’t support such content as in this Instagram post at all.”
