Serge Aurier stages tongue-in-cheek apology to former PSG manager Laurent Blanc

Serge Aurier has delivered a highly theatrical apology to his former Paris St-Germain manager Laurent Blanc, 10 years after insulting him during a live broadcast on the Periscope app.

The 33-year-old former Ivory Coast right-back appeared on French channel Canal+’s programme presented by Herve Mathoux, where he was encouraged to offer Blanc a “more sincere” apology.

Aurier appeared unconvinced by the exercise from the outset, saying: “I can’t pretend…”

He then used onions, eye drops and sad piano music to create the impression of tears before reading a prepared letter addressed to Blanc.

“My dear Laurent, if you only knew how much I regret it,” Aurier said. “Ten years have passed, and I cannot stop thinking about you. I did not mean a single word. Let’s talk over a coffee. I am inviting you, and I insist. Please, coach, forgive me.”

The incident dates back to the 2015-16 season, when Aurier criticised Blanc and several of his Paris St-Germain team-mates during an online broadcast. He described Blanc as “a homosexual”, prompting a crisis at the club.

Aurier later attempted to explain his behaviour in an interview with RMC Sport.

“If you look closely at the video, I am in the middle of a delusion,” he said. “These are questions I do not even pay attention to while answering, because there are so many people on the app, and it was for a laugh. Looking back now, I realise it was a really big mistake, because it was serious.”

He was suspended from the first team for two months following the incident.

The episode also left Blanc bitter, with the manager reportedly feeling that he did not receive sufficient backing from the club’s hierarchy. Paris St-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi visited Aurier with the reserve team just one month after the controversy began.

Aurier’s latest appearance comes as he works as a coach of Lens’ Under-15 side. Although he delivered the apology on Canal+, the staged nature of the segment appeared to cast doubt on how seriously it should be taken.

That uncertainty was reinforced by Aurier’s own admission that he could not pretend, despite being prompted to make the apology. Blanc, who later managed the France national team, has yet to respond publicly.