Football manager apologises for homophobic, racist texts

Former Cardiff City FC manager Malky Mackay has publicly apologised for sending offensive text messages including at least one which could be construed as homophobic.

Mackay has faced heavy criticism this week after a dossier compiled by Cardiff City FC, his former club, revealed that he had exchanged text messages containing racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic sentiments with Cardiff FC’s head of recruitment, Iain Moody.

Admitting to sending several offensive text messages, Mackay told Sky Sports: “Out of 10,000 text messages in and out of someone’s phone, I sent three, and that being the case, looking at them, they are completely unacceptable, inappropriate, and for that and any offence I’ve caused, I sincerely apologise.”

“I did it in a period where I was under immense pressure and stress in terms of the relationships that were possibly not going too well at my football club at the time,” Mackay continued. “But that doesn’t excuse anything and was unacceptable.”

Mackay, 42, went on to pledge that he will be “going forward with” diversity and equality training, potentially with help from LGB rights charity Stonewall and football’s Kick It Out equality campaign.

Mackay, a former Scottish international football player, lost his managerial job at Cardiff FC last December. Before details of his offensive text messages were reported in the press, he was believed to be in the frame to take over as manager at South London club Crystal Palace FC, but is now expected to have lost out on the job.

Earlier this month (August), as the Premier League season kicked off, MPs called for a campaign to eradicate homophobia in professional football. Read more here.