Northern Ireland's Corry Evans has issued an apology over a xenophobic tweet that his wife sent to referee Ovidiu Hategan in the wake of the team's 1-0 defeat to Switzerland in their World Cup qualifying playoff.
Lisa Evans called the official a "Romanian gypsy c**t" for awarding a controversial penalty against her husband during the second half of the match.
"Romanian gypsy c***! And to actually think Northern Ireland has probably homed one of his smelly relatives! Ungrateful t**T! Anyway onwards and upwards," she wrote on the social network after the game.
Blackburn Rovers star Evans has since apologised for his wife's offensive rant.
"On behalf of my wife, I would like to apologise unreservedly for the content and language contained in the tweet that she issued last night," The Mirror quotes him as saying.
"The comments were published in the heat of the moment and are not representative of her views."
The Irish will face Switzerland in the second leg away from home on November 12.
Mark Langshaw
