Manchester United footballer Chris Smalling apologizes for suicide bomber costume
(CNN) -- Manchester United football star Chris Smalling has apologized after pictures appeared in a British newspaper of the defender dressed as a suicide bomber at a private party.
The England international
wanted to make a joke based around the popular "jagerbomb" drink by
dressing in a costume decorated with empty bottles of jagermeister and
cans of the energy drink Red Bull.
"Chris and his girlfriend
hosted a fancy dress party to celebrate Christmas and their belated
birthdays with close friends in the assumed privacy of his own home,"
Smalling's management company Wasserman Media Group said in a statement.
"He dressed in a costume
consisting of empty bottles of jagermesiter and cans of Red Bull
strapped to his chest in an attempted comedy play on the popular 'jager
bomb drink'.
"Although he fully
accepts in hindsight it was an ill-thought out and insensitive decision,
absolutely no harm was intended whatsoever and he apologizes for any
offense caused."
Smalling, who hopes to be
part of the England squad which will travel to Brazil in June for the
2014 World Cup, is not the only footballer to have courted controversy
with his choice of fancy dress outfit.
The girlfriend of Stoke
City's Jermaine Pennant recently posted a picture of the winger dressed
as Osama Bin Laden at a New Year's Eve party.
Outside of sport,
Britain's Prince Harry issued an apology in 2005 after he was pictured
dressed as a Nazi at a friend's fancy dress party.
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