The Sun newspaper caused a stir yesterday with a controversial headline on their front page, which alluded to the drug culture in Colombia in what was essentially a cheap dig at England's opponents.
The paper received some backlash for their efforts, not least from Colombian ambassador to the UK Néstor Osorio Londoño, who expressed his disappointment at the tabloid for using "such a festive and friendly environment as the World Cup to target a country and continue to stigmatise it with a completely unrelated issue."
Today the paper has issued an 'apology' to the front page controversy, which will do nothing to help Colombia England relations:
The front page of yesterday's Sun may have given the impression that Colombia is well known for its cocaine trade. This was unfair on the Colombian people, who are far more embarrassed by the way their cheating, fouling, play-acting, mean spirited national football team played last night. We are happy to set the record straight.
Can everyone stop and give The Sun a bualadh bos for the sheer skill in antagonising people? Granted Colombia were incredible shithouses last night, as they almost made it impossible to not root for England, but this smug response will not go down well with Néstor Osorio Londoño and company. Not that the Sun care one iota.
There was a mixed reaction online to the paper's broadside:
Apology of the year. ?? pic.twitter.com/jVkDuBuaes
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 4, 2018
Hate the paper, love the article.
— Johnny (@YellowStones9) July 4, 2018
That's an embarrassment! Talk about bad winners (you and the Sun not England generally)..........can you not just be happy you scraped through??
— Padraic Fitzgerald (@padraicf) July 4, 2018
To a degree I think you're right. It's no secret what Columbia is well known for. It's more that a national newspaper with a wide audience should show a bit more social responsibility. But they don't, nor will they ever.
— Billy Hayes (@Hayesy79) July 4, 2018
It’s a shame that you and the sun think this is the apology of the year. You are both the same type of journalism.... . Congratulations to a great team and a great country, Colombia, well played!!!
— William Avella (@wavella) July 4, 2018
You lot at @thesun really are the very worst type of people. Grow up.
— Ian Hawkings (@ian_blueskypr) July 4, 2018
Is this not the worst apology ever published? The Sun, a continuous national embarrassment. pic.twitter.com/LLSbriwn1k
— Ben (@the__buck) July 4, 2018
