Brazilian and Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has been banned from driving for 12 months and also fined £20,000 after admitting to be under the influence of alcohol while driving on Christmas Eve.
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Firmino was arrested at 3am on Christmas Eve after his Range Rover was stopped at the Liverpool City Centre where he had to take a breath analyser test and it was found that he had 46 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of his breath, which is above the legal limit of 35.
Following his court hearing at the Liverpool Magistrates' Court, where Firmino pleaded guilty to the offence, he released a statement, apologising for what he did and admitting that it was wrong and that it set a bad example.
"I apologise, without reservation, to the club, the manager, my team-mates and the supporters for putting myself in this situation. What I have done is wrong and sets a bad example. I promise to everyone in the LFC family, that I will learn from this mistake, learn from this experience, and not repeat it in the future" The Daily Mail quoted Firmino as saying.
Liverpool have also released a statement saying that this was a rare incident, but they will work with the player and educate him regarding the dangers of drunk-driving.
The statement read: "The player has been disciplined by the club for his actions and reminded of his responsibilities for the present and future. The nature of this action will remain private; however it does not impact on his availability for selection for matches.
"The club considers this to be an isolated incident and a rare lapse in judgment and professionalism. We will, however, work with the player to further educate him on the dangers associated with drink-driving specifically".
Firmino has been one of Liverpool's top performers this season and despite this incident it is highly unlikely that Jurgen Klopp will bench him in the upcoming matches. With Liverpool set to face Hull City, Tottenham and Leicester City in their next three matches in the English Premier League, Firmino will hope to play a big part.
