Sky Sports News issued an apology after one of its reporters used explicit language on live air on Monday night.
During the pre-match coverage of Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over Wolves, Sky Sports spoke with Melissa Reddy, a senior reporter at the broadcaster.
The conversation shifted to Andre Onana, Manchester United’s new goalkeeper, who marked his Premier League debut following his £43 million transfer from Champions League finalists Inter Milan.
The Cameroonian had an eventful pre-season for United after berating Harry Maguire for a mistake made against Borussia Dortmund, while he was also chipped from the centre circle by Florian Sotoca of RC Lens at Old Trafford.
Onana’s style will no doubt divide opinion but Erik ten Hag was desperate for a modern day goalkeeper and elected to go for someone who he knows very well from his time at Ajax.
Reddy was analysing just why United offloaded David de Gea and signed Onana but accidentally dropped an expletive.
“He feels that in Onana, he has signed a big personality. We’ve already seen glimpses of that.
“Him b******ing his defenders when they’ve made a mistake.
“He is calm and assured that both players will drive United to the next level.”
While the term used may not have been highly offensive and some might argue that it isn’t strictly a swear word, Vicky Gomersall, the current presenter, had to step in and deliver the customary apology to the viewers for the incident.
She said: “Just going to apologise to anyone if they were offended by the use of your language there.”
Onana showcased his adeptness in playing from the back, although numerous individuals believed he should have given away a penalty for colliding with Sasa Kalajdzic while rushing out to gather a cross in the final moments.
VAR reviewed the incident, but despite this, Simon Hooper, the referee, didn’t consult the pitchside monitor and no penalty was given.
Wolves manager Gary O’Neill stated that the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) apologized for what should have been an evident penalty, as noted by Jonathan Moss.
The officials implicated have subsequently been omitted from the roster for the upcoming round of matches.