The coach of the Australian national football team has apologised for an off-the-record gaffe in a press conference, in which he said 'women should shut up in public'.
Socceroos coach Holger Osieck made the blunder during a media conference after Australia's 4-0 World Cup qualifying win against Jordan at Etihad Stadium, where he said that there is a Latin saying which meant that 'women should shut up in public', News.com.au reports.
However, Osieck promptly had added that as he has made the remark in context of his wife, it is a private one and thus should be kept off-the-record.
The German national, who was initially unaware of any storm he had caused, said that he was deeply sorry for any offence caused, adding that the remark was an off-the-record talk with one of the journalists, who had asked him for a quote from Latin, which he translated.
Labelling the comment as a 'complete misunderstanding', Osieck said that he had not intended to cause any outrage with his comment and denied that he believed women should not be able to talk in public, adding that he had meant the comment as a joke.
According to Osieck, he was in a celebratory mood after the win, which was a big step in regards to Australia's qualifying campaign, adding that similar remarks made during such a mood should not be taken literally.
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Although Osieck has lived in Australia since being appointed Socceroos coach towards the end of 2010, he said that he still has a lot to understand in Australian humour, adding that he is still getting used to local conditions.
Meanwhile, Osieck joked that he will probably be in trouble if his wife gets to know about his gaffe.