West Ham midfielder Mohammed Kudus has expressed regret over his actions during last month's heated clash against Tottenham Hotspur, which led to a red card and an extended ban.Initially suspended for three matches, the Ghanaian international now faces a five-game suspension following an additional charge of violent conduct from the FA.
The ruling also includes a £60,000 fine.In a statement to the independent regulatory commission, Kudus described feeling "deeply embarrassed" by his behaviour after fouling Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven.Apologising in a letter shared by the commission, Kudus admitted he had "lost his cool" and that his actions were "out of character."While Kudus said he couldn't recall all details of the altercation, he accepted that video footage confirmed he had pushed Tottenham's Pape Matar Sarr in the face-a move he conceded deserved a red card.
Despite noting that contact with Van de Ven was minimal, Kudus admitted his response was inappropriate.It read: "MK [Mohamed Kudus] began his letter by apologising, stating that he was deeply embarrassed by his behaviour in the 20 seconds following his foul on Micky van de Ven."He accepted that he had lost his cool and said that his behaviour was out of character."He stated that he could not recall the events clearly, but having viewed the footage, he felt that MvdV [Micky van de Ven] had exaggerated the incident as there was minimal contact from him…He accepted that he should not have pushed PS [Pape Sarr] in the face and that his action merited a red card.
However, he did not injure anyone, or use force."MK [Mohamed Kudus] stated that his preparation for the match had been mentally and physically challenging because he had travelled for a midweek international fixture and had received various negative comments on social media.