Yaya Toure Removed From Soccer Aid After Sharing 'Inappropriate Content' in Group Chat

Former Manchester City player Yaya Toure will not take part in Sunday's Soccer Aid match after posting 'inappropriate content' in a WhatsApp group chat with other players, and offering to hire sex workers for them. The Ivorian has since apologised for his actions.

Toure was due to feature for the World XI team in Sunday's Soccer Aid match. This year's UNICEF charity game will be played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all funds raised being put towards helping children tackle the outbreak around the world.

Considering the events of recent months, the Soccer Aid fundraising match is more important than ever this year. But Toure won't be taking part anymore, as the Sun report that he sent some fairly inexplicable messages in his World XI WhatsApp group, which includes the likes of former Man Utd defender Patrice Evra, Julie Fleeting, Lianne Sanderson and Chelcee Grimes.

The former Man City man is said to have posted a pornographic video of a naked woman in a bath...without even being prompted. But it gets worse for Toure, as he then decided it was a good idea to suggest he could hire someone (like the video of the lady in the bath) to come to the hotel where they are staying.

But wait, it gets even worse. The 37-year-old claimed he could hire 19 such sex workers. Yep, you read that correct - 19. Of course, for a match of such a specific nature, this crossed...well, a number of lines. He went on to quickly remove the messages after others made their feelings perfectly clear, but the damage had most definitely already been done.

An insider told the Sun: “It was absolutely disgraceful and caused a huge amount of distress to some of the people who received the messages."

Toure's messages are said to have changed the mood completely within the squad, with a number of participants immediately calling for him to be removed from the match. Indeed, he will play no part, with a spokesperson for Soccer Aid confirming: "While it was an error of judgment, it was felt that the behaviour didn’t align with the values of the event and its cause, and it was the right thing for him to step back from this year’s match.”

The former player has also taken to his Twitter to make once again apologise for his actions, insisting he deeply regrets his actions. He said: "I would like to apologise to everyone involved in Soccer Aid for an inappropriate joke I deeply regret.

"It was meant as a joke however I lacked thorough consideration for the feelings of other participants. That being said I deleted the jokes within minutes and I immediately apologised to all inside the group.

"We gather for a good cause and this deviates the focus of the game which is to bring everyone together to help children around the world. It's sad to see an inappropriate joke I made attract the attention which should be fully devoted to the beauty of the charity game.

"Regardless of the circumstances, I want to take full responsibility. I am a grown man who should not be engaged in such jokes."