Corry Evans has apologised for comments made by his wife in the wake of Northern Ireland’s 1-0 defeat to Switzerland at Windsor Park.
Michael O’Neill’s side were dominated throughout on Thursday night, but the game hinged on one key moment as Evans was harshly judged to have handled the ball inside his own area.
Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan pointed to the spot and Ricardo Rodriguez swept the ball home - leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb in Sunday’s second leg.
After the match, Lisa Evans tweeted: “Romanian gypsy c**t!!! And to actually think Northern Ireland has probably homed one of his smelly relatives!! Ungrateful twat!! Anyway onwards and upwards #GAWA”
The tweet has since been deleted - along with Mrs. Evans Twitter account - and the Blackburn Rovers midfielder has subsequently released a statement apologising.
It reads: “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 comments were published in the heat of the moment and are not representative of her views.”
Northern Ireland travel to Basel needing to become the first side to win a competitive game in Switzerland since England in 2014 in order to qualify for next summer’s tournament, which would represent a first World Cup appearance since 1986.
