Ever Banega apologies after breaking lockdown rules to have lunch with wags

FOUR Sevilla players have made grovelling apologies after breaching lockdown rules and LaLiga’s protocol to have lunch with their Wags.

Midfielder Ever Banega’s wife Valeria Juan posted the photo that landed him and his team-mates in hot water - because it showed them gathered round a table with 12 people on it instead of the maximum ten.

The former Argentine international admitted his error on social media after a heavy backlash over the snap of the footballers with their wives and other friends enjoying paella, beer and hookahs in temperatures of around 35C.

He wrote: “I want to say sorry for what happened yesterday.

“It was a get-together with family and team-mates. But unwittingly we made a mistake. I want to apologise to our club, our supporters and society in general.

“It won’t happen again, we just want to play again as soon as possible.”

Dutchman Luuk de Jong, who spent half a year on loan at Newcastle in 2014, added: “I want to apologise to everyone who felt offended by what happened yesterday. It won’t be repeated. We want the league to restart. We just want to start playing again.”

Similar apologies were offered by defender Franco Vasquez and Lucas Ocampos, who was recently identified as a potential Liverpool and Real Madrid target.

Argentinian Vasquez called the breach an “error” and admitted they had failed team-mates, their club, and LaLiga.

Their gaffe occurred the same day as Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez announced Spain’s top flight could restart from June 8.

The first match to be played in the LaLiga restart is expected to be the Seville derby - Sevilla against Real Betis - on June 11 or 12.

Enraged fan Antonio Alonso, one of those who shared Vanega’s wife’s photos of the footballers’ get-together before she removed them from her Instagram, wrote: “Hello police and LaLiga.

“Ever Banega published these photos on his social media today.

“It’s reckless and puts him and he rest of his group at risk, as well as indirectly his other team-mates.

“I don’t really care about them but on June 12 they’re playing against Real Betis and I do care about that.

Seville was in phase one of Spain's four-stage coronavirus recovery programme when the snap was taken, limiting social gatherings of friends to a maximum of ten.

On Monday, it moved onto stage two, leading to a further easing of restrictions.