French football club OGC Nice has canceled its contract with teenage football player Lamine Diaby-Fadiga for stealing a teammate's watch worth $76,000.
OGC Nice fired 18-year-old Diaby-Fadiga after he admitted to taking his teammate Kasper Dolberg's watch from the club dressing room on September 16. According to Diaby-Fadiga, he did it out of jealousy.
The club released a statement saying: "Above and beyond all sporting and financial consideration, OGC Nice cannot and will not accept such behavior that betrays the confidence that unites all the club's employees and all the members of the Rouge et Noir family."
According to Diaby-Fadiga, he was "mentally affected" by a long-term injury and a red card he received on his return to football, leading to his action. On an Instagram post, he wrote: "My difficult situation contrasted starkly the success and aura of Kasper, my teammate. I took it out on him without having any reason to do so, maybe a bit because of jealousy."
He added: "Instead of trying to battle on the pitch to provide him with competition for places, I reacted stupidly towards him. My actions were not taken out of an appetite to gain something from it, but out of disappointment, frustration and feeling discredited. Of course, I am only 18, but my age excuses nothing. I also took on the responsibility of reimbursing my teammate fully, which I have now done. I wish him a lot of success at OGC Nice and in his career. Maybe one day we will come across each other on a pitch and this affair will be merely a bad memory."
Diaby-Fadiga has been with the team since the age of 14 as part of the youth academy and he debuted for the first team at the age of 16.
Dolberg initially reported the incident to the police but both he and the team wil be dropping the criminal investigation. Diaby-Fadiga's contract with the team was canceled immediately after his admission.
