A Juventus star has apologised for saying 'we are not women' in the midst of defending Cristiano Ronaldo following the Portuguese's sending off in the UEFA Champions League this week.
Read: Valencia Boss: What Ronaldo Said To Me After Red Card
Ronaldo was given his marching orders on his Champions League debut for the Serie A champions for an off-the-ball incident with Valencia defender Jeison Murillo.
Juventus midfielder Emre Can was not pleased with the decision to send off Ronaldo for appearing to pull Murillo's hair.
"That's supposed to be a red? I just heard that he said it was because of hair pulling. We're not women, we're playing football," the German said after the match, according to AS.
However, the former Liverpool star has since taken to social media to apologise for his comments.
"I would like to take a moment to clear the air regarding the comments I made after last night's game. My response after seeing the video footage of Cristiano's sending off seemed to have caused some commotion," he wrote on his various social media accounts, according to BBC Sport.
"I would like to state that the comments made were never focused on nor meant to degrade women, women's football or equality in any form. Everyone who knows me knows about my respect for women, equality and respect.
"My intention was to stick up for my team mate regarding a wrong decision which could have affected our game. I sincerely apologise if any of the comments I made have caused any harm."
