‘I could have been tidier’ – Jamie Carragher addresses controversial Afcon comments and explains his ‘mistake’

JAMIE CARRAGHER has addressed his arguable comments aft helium claimed the African Cup of Nations was not a “major tournament”.

The ex-Liverpool prima triggered immense outcry aft helium suggested Mohamed Salah‘s Ballon d’Or assertion would not beryllium arsenic beardown due to the fact that helium did not play successful 1 of the large planetary tournaments.

CBS Sports

Jamie Carragher has addressed the comments helium made astir Afcon[/caption]

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Carragher had suggested Afcon was not a ‘major tournament’ which would wounded Mohamed Salah’s Ballon D’Or chances[/caption]

Not known, wide with representation desk

Carragher admitted helium could person utilized ‘tidier’ connection erstwhile expressing his point[/caption]

Speaking aft the Reds’ 2-0 triumph implicit Manchester City successful February, helium said: “I deliberation the occupation is the information he’s with Egypt, and he’s astir apt not playing successful a large tourney arsenic such, oregon possibly got a large accidental of winning.

“I deliberation it’s either the Champions League oregon the large tournament. Normally, the subordinate who excels successful that.”

The likes of Rio Ferdinand, John Obi Mikel, Jay Jay Okocha and Ahmed Elmohamady had levelled brutal replies towards the erstwhile defender.

Ferdinand said it was an “ignorant thought process”, portion Obi Mikel told him successful nary uncertain presumption to “f*** off”.

However, Carragher has present addressed those claims portion appearing connected CBS Sports.

Appearing alongside Micah Richards, who had called Carragher retired unrecorded connected Sky Sports erstwhile helium made the archetypal comment, Thierry Henry and presenter Kate Abdo (now Scott), helium admitted helium had utilized “clumsy” language, but stood by his wide point.

He said: “I person got precise beardown opinions connected the game, I emotion debate, and that volition ne'er change.

“But what I would ne'er privation to beryllium described as, arsenic a pundit, is ignorant oregon disrespectful truthful that was ne'er my aim.

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“And whether that’s to a player, a club, a country, a continent, a continental tournament, immoderate that whitethorn be. 

“What I would accidental is, wherever I got it incorrect was, I was clumsy describing Afcon arsenic not a large tournament.

“I was trying to explicate the merits of Mo Salah winning the Ballon d’Or, and I consciousness that not conscionable Afcon, I would accidental the Asia Games, the Gold Cup, not truthful overmuch the Copa America.

“But determination are 5 large tournaments retired determination too the World Cup that are for their continent and are a large tournament.

“But immoderate of them don’t resonate with the radical who ballot for the Ballon d’Or.

“That for maine was not an opinion, that was a information successful presumption of looking who had won the Ballon d’Or successful the past 40 oregon 50 years.

“Yes, I’ve been banging the drum for Mo Salah to go the archetypal African subordinate to triumph the Ballon d’Or since George Weah successful the mid ’90s.

“As I said, I should person been a batch tidier with my connection astir that, truthful yes, that’s thing I’ll look at. 

“But arsenic I said, you bash look astatine the Euros, wherever it’s astatine close now, and different competitions, and immoderate of them resonate with the Ballon d’Or voters, who sometimes are journalists, nationalist coaches, nationalist captains. 

“And 1 of the reasons mightiness be, sometimes we forget, the Ballon d’Or was the European Footballer of the Year. 

“So possibly determination is simply a bias towards the Euros oregon European football successful the past. 

“It was decidedly not my purpose to offend anybody – I cognize I’ve done that a batch successful the past successful antithetic guises astir antithetic players and teams.

“But that was surely not the case. yes, hopefully that’s present addressed it.”

Afcon is simply a tourney played retired each 2 years and is scheduled during European wintertime time.

Only 1 African federation has ever reached the past 4 of the World Cup, with Morocco doing truthful successful 2022.

The lone African subordinate to triumph the Ballon d’Or was erstwhile AC Milan and Liberia striker George Weah in 1995.

Ex-Liverpool and Senegal prima Sadio Mane is the lone African to beryllium voted into the apical 3 successful the 21st period – with Salah finishing 5th that twelvemonth and successful 2019.