I didn't threaten Barcelona players - Diop

Espanyol midfielder Papakouli Diop has claimed he was
misquoted in the aftermath of his side's 4-1 defeat to
Barcelona and never threatened rival players.

Diop was sent off in Wednesday's heated Copa del Rey
match for swearing at Barca striker Luis Suarez with his
side already down to 10 men.

The 29-year-old later defended Espanyol from
accusations they were "violent" during the match and was
quoted as saying: "If we had wanted to, the Barca players
would have gone off on stretchers."

But Diop has insisted his words were either misrepresented
or lost in translation.

"At no time did I say that and I'd like it if things I actually
said is what gets put into articles," he told Espanyol's official
website. "Just changing a few letters can change the
meaning of a phrase.

"It's possible that I wasn't understood in terms of language,
but never, at any moment, have I wanted to talk about
violence or threatening anyone.

"I wish the interview could have been recorded and you
could see what I said. I insist that we're not a violent team -
if we had been yesterday there would have been ugly fouls
or injuries or people leaving on stretchers. That's what I
wanted to say."