After making headlines for masturbating in public, Algeria and Angers winger Farid El Melali has broken his silence on the shocking incident.
Read: Reports: African Ligue 1 Player Arrested For Masturbating In Public
The Desert Foxes star was caught masturbating in the courtyard of his building while allegedly watching a female neighbour.
He was taken into custody by police before being released after admitting to being guilty of the act.
El Melali has since taken to social media to apologise for his actions.
"These last few days have been very hard – mentally and physically," El Melali wrote on Instagram, as translated by ESPN.
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"Coping with criticism and judgement is tough. I understand that those who received the information cannot tolerate such behavior.
"I want to apologise to my family, my friends and the fans of my dear club Angers, as well as my fellow Algerians.
"Everything that happened has affected me, but it has also made me stronger and more aware of the values and principles that I must uphold.
"Thank you to everybody who has stuck with me during this rough time."
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The 23-year-old is due to appear in court in the next few weeks and could face up to one year in prison, with officials alleging that this is the second time he has been reported for such an act or similar.
Angers, who extended El Melali's contract on Monday, just hours before the incident, stated that the player's transgression had been noted, but they would "wait for the decision from authorities" before deciding any action of their own, if any.
