Matt Le Tissier quits as Saints ambassador over Ukraine tweets
The striker's comments on the Bucha masscare were roundly condemned
Former Southampton FC striker Matt Le Tissier has stepped down as an ambassador for the club over controversial tweets about the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Le Tissier shared a message posted to the social media website on Tuesday (6th April) to spread conspiracy theories linked to the killings of unarmed Ukrainian citizens in Bucha, near Kyiv, by Russian forces.
He retweeted the post, which claimed the media had lied about details linked to the massacre, with a finger-pointing emoji and the caption 'This'.
Le Tissier, the club's all-time leading goalscorer, subsequently deleted the post following criticism from users.
He claimed he had shared the message to talk about 'the media manipulation' and it was not an attempt to deny that killings had taken place.
In a message posted on Twitter on Wednesday, Le Tissier said:
"My views are my own and always have been, and it’s important to take this step today to avoid any confusion.
"This does not affect my relationship with and love for my club, and I will always remain a fan and supporter of everything Saints.
"I can, however, see that due to recent events it’s important to separate the work I believe in from my relationship with the club I have supported and played for most of my life.
"I will see you all at St Mary’s and will always do anything I can to help the club.".