Share

Lloris to face court over drunk-driving charge

London - France's World Cup-winning captain Hugo Lloris is due to appear in court in London on Wednesday over a drunk-driving charge after a roadside breathalyser test reportedly caught him two times over the limit. 

The Tottenham goalkeeper has already apologised for what he called his "unacceptable" behaviour. 

Just weeks after playing a key role in France's World Cup glory, Lloris was pulled over in a routine stop on August 24 at 2:20 am in Gloucester Place, central London. 

The 31-year-old, driving a Porsche, was reported by the Daily Mail to allegedly have registered 80 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath during the roadside test, more than double the legal limit of 35mg. ""I wish to apologise wholeheartedly to my family, the club, my team-mates, the manager and all of the supporters," Lloris said in a statement. 

"Drink-driving is completely unacceptable, I take full responsibility for my actions and it is not the example I wish to set." 

After spending seven hours in a cell, Lloris, a married father of two, returned home on foot. 

The maximum punishment for drink-driving in Britain is a six-month jail term, although fines and temporary driving bans are more common. 

Lloris missed France's opening games in the inaugural UEFA Nations League due to a thigh injury, coach Didier Deschamps has said. 

The coach gave Lloris his full backing, saying: "I've spoken with him, he realises his mistake and he's sorry for it. 

"He knows only too well that it shouldn't happen, but it happened and it's not going to change what I think about him and the Hugo Lloris that I've always known." 

He was also given the backing of Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino before their 3-0 win at Manchester United last month. 

France won their second World Cup with a 4-2 final victory over Croatia, although Lloris was guilty of a bad mistake that allowed Mario Mandzukic to score. 

He had kept clean sheets in France's semi-final win over Belgium and their quarter-final success against Uruguay. 

Lloris signed a new $193 000-per-week deal at Tottenham during the summer as he was rewarded for another fine season. 

"The club takes matters such as this extremely seriously and it will be dealt with internally," a Tottenham spokesman said, referring to the drunk-drive charge. 

Lloris has been with Tottenham since joining from Lyon in 2012, making 256 appearances for the north London club.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Mamelodi Sundowns 2
Sekhukhune United FC 0
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1843 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1810 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1100 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 470 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 261 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE