Ron Atkinson has described how he made the off-air racist remark about a black player that prompted his swift resignation as a regular and long-standing pundit with commercial broadcaster ITV.
ITV said today Atkinson had apologised for the comments picked up by studio microphones after the Champions League match between Chelsea and Monaco on Tuesday.
Atkinson's remarks about Chelsea captain Marcel Desailly were heard on a channel in the Middle East which carried the live feed. "I made a stupid mistake which I regret," Atkinson said in a statement. "I can't believe I did it. It was just a moment of stupidity."
He told Sky Newstoday: "I am not excusing myself. I was totally out of order. I had taken off my headphones, I had put everything down and I (was) actually watching some of the play from the Chelsea game.
"I was that annoyed, probably thinking like a fan that they should have won. I (was) just muttering to myself and unfortunately certain comments which I have made, which were obviously a bad choice, got picked up on the mike and got transmitted somewhere in the Middle East where the line was still open.
"First and foremost I apologise to the player, Desailly. He has been a great player."
An ITV spokesman said the comment was made in an off-air conversation after the game and was not broadcast in Britain.
"It was a regrettable lapse by a respected and experienced broadcaster who has been part of the ITV sports team for many years," ITV said.
Atkinson has also lost his job as a columnist with the
Guardiannewspaper. A statement released by the newspaper said: "Our contract with Ron Atkinson to write a weekly football column has been terminated with immediate effect by mutual agreement."