We're relying on someone else's translation here, but it looks like Lazio's Sinisa Mihajlovic's apology to Paddy Vieira, for (apparent) racist remarks, wasn't entirely heartfelt.

According to Planet Football, he is now saying the club wrote the text of his apology for him. No real surprise in that, we suppose - and he did even quote club president Sergio Cragnotti to boot.

But he also says: 'Vieira used me. He needed to wipe the slate clean and it was too good an opportunity to pass up. If all this had happened in England and the things I said to him had been said by an Englishman, he would have kept his mouth shut. I am sure of it. It's just that I am Mihajlovic, I am a Serb and a gypsy.'

He goes on: 'I did what I had to do for myself. Vieira didn't. He had already reached his objectives. I showed that I had balls.'

Regular readers will be aware that Arseweb knows better than to trust football reporters' language skills. But these comments certainly have sinister overtones.