Jean-Christophe Bahebeck has come out in support of Serge Aurier following the controversy over the Periscope video in which the Ivorian full-back insulted teammates and his coach. Aurier has been suspended from the Paris Saint-Germain senior team until March 20, but Bahebeck believes the player deserves forgiveness.
In an interview with beIN Sports, the Cameroonian-born PSG loanee at AS Saint-Étienne explained that he reached out to Aurier to check on him. “He’s a friend. I sent him a message of support and to check on him. It couldn’t have been easy,” Bahebeck said. He added that Aurier responded and they had a conversation, noting that Aurier may have initially turned off his phone to avoid the backlash.
Bahebeck emphasized that the PSG locker room, particularly Zlatan Ibrahimović, showed support for Aurier despite the incident. “It’s a human error. I’ve seen astounding things said, like he deserved death or prison. I know the club needs him. Before that, he had a great season with PSG. He was a rock, he played extraordinary matches. I think he’ll come back and they’ll forgive him,” he said.
Bahebeck’s comments highlight the belief among some PSG players that Aurier’s mistake was momentary and that his contributions on the field should not be overshadowed by the incident.
