A former Manchester United defender, Patrice Evra said “I love everybody” after Paris St-Germain accused him of making “homophobic insults” against them.
Evra used a French word that is derogatory to homosexuals in a video on social media in which he taunted PSG over their Champions League defeat by his former club.
“I am not homophobic,” said Evra, 37.
“If I offend someone or I hurt someone I really apologise, but you know it’s not my intention.”
In his social media post on Tuesday, the former France left-back says he made the video “as a joke”, adding the French media had taken his use of the derogatory term to mean he is “against gay people”.
“They are just trying to put me down. Only God can judge me,” Evra said.
United won 3-1 at the French champions to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg and go through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League on away goals.
In his earlier video, Evra also appeared to threaten ex-PSG winger Jerome Rothen – a former team-mate at Monaco and France – over a separate clip in which he celebrated United’s victory from the stands at the Parc des Princes.
The statement issued by PSG said: “We strongly condemn Patrice Evra’s homophobic insults aimed at us, our representatives and former players on social media.”
