Belgium’s Jeremy Doku plans to leave World Cup for birth of child
by Liam Griffin · The Washington TimesBelgian winger Jeremy Doku plans to leave the ongoing World Cup next month for the birth of his first child, the 24-year-old told reporters.
The child is expected to be born in the second week of July, during the World Cup quarterfinals.
“It’s my first child, so I would definitely want to be there,” Doku, who plays for Manchester City, told Reuters. “If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child. But I also know that football involves many other considerations. I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We’ll see what we can do.”
The plan has drawn criticism from some European commentators, including French TV presenter France Pierron.
“There are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your shoes. It might never happen again in your life,” she said Friday. “You’re living out a childhood dream, yet you’re going to walk away from it all to attend the birth of your child — a disgusting moment, if you’ll pardon the expression, where the dad is completely useless.”
She later posted an apology for the comments on social media.
“I was expressing a personal opinion, within the context of a contentious exchange,” Pierron said. “These remarks commit only me and in no way reflect a collective position.”
Doku started Belgium’s World Cup opener, a 1-1 draw against Egypt, on Monday. The team announced that he would not play in Sunday’s match against Iran due to an illness.
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Liam Griffin
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