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Rabat – Danish television channel TV 2 issued an apology statement, regretting the “offensive and inappropriate” comment made against Morocco’s national football team.
Recalling remarks made by its news host Christian Hogh Andersen, TV 2 said that it sincerely apologizes for the comment.
TV 2 sparked outrage after Hogh Andersen compared images of Moroccan players celebrating with their families to a “family of monkeys.”
A viral video online showed the journalist saying: “In continuation of the talk about Morocco and their families in Qatar, we also have an animal family gathering to keep warm, and that is how beautiful those goblin monkeys are.”
Commenting on the situation, TV2 said that although the remarks were unintentional, they can “be perceived as racist.”
“Both TV 2 and Christian Hogh Andersen would like to give a profound apology for that,” the statement reads.
TV 2 News’ editor-in-chief Anne Mette Svane also extended her regret and apology for the statement, describing the host’s remarks as “both wrong and offensive.”
The editor-in-chief, however, defended the journalist’s intention, emphasizing that “ it was not the intention of the host… it is a remark that both our host and TV 2 dissociated from.”
Svane emphasized that the remarks remain a “clear mistake.”
“We apologize for it, and we will take it into account in our work at TV 2 News,” she said.
Andersen also apologized for his racist remark, stressing that his comparison was “completely wrong.”
“It was never my intention, but it is both wrong and offensive, and I would like to apologize for that,” the journalist said.
Morocco’s national team made international headlines for their uplifting performances during the World Cup. Morocco became the first Arab and African team to reach the semi-finals in World Cup history.
Morocco finished fourth in the competition. Croatia took third place after defeating the Atlas Lions 2-1 on Saturday.
The World Cup will end today with a much-anticipated final between Argentina and defending champions France.
The match will take place today at 4 p.m. Moroccan time.
