Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
George Flood

Carles Puyol sorry for ‘clumsy joke’ after response to deleted Iker Casillas ‘I’m gay’ tweet

Carles Puyol has been heavily criticised after his response to a tweet from Iker Casillas’ allegedly hacked account

(Picture: Getty Images)

Carles Puyol has apologised for what he called a “clumsy joke” after his response to a tweet from Iker Casillas’ official account.

A tweet from Casillas’ account sent out on Sunday afternoon read: “I hope I’ll be respected: I’m gay”, though it was later deleted with the former Real Madrid goalkeeper insisting that his account had been hacked.

Puyol’s response to the initial tweet from his former Spain team-mate read: “It’s time to tell our story, Iker”, followed by heart and kiss emojis.

That response has also now been deleted by Puyol, who apologised after receiving strong criticism across social media.

“I have made a mistake,” he said. “Sorry for a clumsy joke with no bad intentions and totally out of place.

“I understand that it may have hurt sensitivities. All my respect and support for the LGTBIQA+ community.”

After deleting the initial message, Casillas said: “Hacked account. Luckily everything in order. Apologies to all my followers. And of course, more apologies to the LGBT community.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.