Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu has apologised after being pictured with his middle finger raised following the stunning Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain.
Mathieu was seen making the gesture on an Instagram photo posted by teammate Javier Mascherano in the aftermath of the 6-1 win at the Camp Nou that overturned a 4-0 deficit from the first leg.
He said he and his teammates had been motivated by PSG's "lack of humility" following the game at the Parc des Princes, and particularly by one post that featured Adrien Rabiot and Layvin Kurzawa.
But he told beIN SPORTS: "The gesture was a little maladroit from me.
"I should have had more experience there. It was in response to what they did after the first leg.
"If I offended a lot of people, I apologise. It was a little thing in return for those two [Rabiot and Kurzawa]. For them, it wasn't the first time. It was for me. Now, it's in the past.
"It's a small mistake on my part, it's not bad."
