Romanian striker Adrian Mutu apologised to Chelsea fans after being sacked by the English Premier League club for taking cocaine.
The 25-year-old, dismissed by Chelsea last week, was banned from the game for seven months by the English Football Association (FA) on Thursday.
"I've made a mistake and I am sorry," Mutu told the BBC on Saturday. "Who doesn't make mistakes in this life? I'm really sorry.
"I know I have disappointed them. I wish them all the best, and I wish to see Chelsea at a good level.
"I'm very sorry for what I have done."
Mutu's ban, which began on October 25, will run until May 18 2005. He was also fined 20,000 pounds ($36,880) by the FA and will be subject to target testing throughout the period of suspension.
He cost Chelsea nearly 16 million pounds ($29.50 million) when he joined from Parma in August 2003.
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