Football
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Real Sociedad's Carlos Vela apologises to fans, seeks Mexico opportunity

Real Sociedad forward Carlos Vela apologised to his team for missing practice recently and reiterated his desire to play for Mexico again.

Spanish media reports said the Mexico international skipped training earlier this month to attend a Chris Brown concert in Madrid after photos of the striker appeared on social media. Vela reportedly told the club he had a bout of gastroenteritis.

Sociedad coach Eusebio Sacristan raised eyebrows by naming Vela to play one week later in the 1-0 loss to Celta Vigo. This past Saturday, he was booed by Real Sociedad fans in their 1-0 home loss to minnows Las Palmas. He is struggling thus far with his worst season since going on loan to the Spanish club in 2012 after seven years with Arsenal and has scored just four goals in 29 games.

"I am aware that what I did was wrong. I take responsibility for my mistake as well as all the consequences," Vela said. "The fans showed their disapproval. I have much respect for them and I accept it. I must look toward the future and this shall not happen again.

"I need to work and show that I can make a difference on the field, that is the best place for me to do it," he said. "Right now my only focus is on finishing the season with Real in a good place. I want to finish well and help the club get out of this slide. I recognise that I am not having a good season and I am working towards getting back to the place where I enjoy playing and the fans can enjoy it along with me.

"We all need to work together and I am going to demand the best from myself so that the situation improves and we become a better team. I have great respect for the fans. They felt that my punishment for not behaving as a professional was adequate."

Vela also addressed his current status with El Tri, saying that he did not travel to Canada for March 25 and 29 World Cup qualifiers at the request of the club.

"Before all this happened I had said that I was at the disposition of both Real and Mexico. They spoke and decided that I should stay here and not make the trip," he said. "I would have loved to have played with the national team. I am working hard here so that I can be in good shape for the summer.

"I don't know what the future holds. I only think about improvement and being the Vela who enjoys being on the field and makes the fans enjoy as well."

Sociedad coach Eusebio last week confirmed that it was the club that asked the Mexican federation not to call Vela up for these matches against Canada and that the conversation took place a few weeks ago, before his recent misdemeanors.

"We asked the Mexico national team three weeks ago to not recall @11carlosV," Real Sociedad quoted Eusebio as saying in a news conference on March 18. 

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio did not challenge the club's request and Vela admitted that it is his desire to play for his home country again. He also said he wouldn't rule out playing in Liga MX at some point in his future.

"I have never played in Mexico. It is something I have always wanted to do and I would not close the door on any offer."

At 27, Vela is more than 10 years removed from the golden boy who led Mexico to the FIFA under-17 World Cup in 2005. Unlike players whose international careers are challenged by injuries, Vela's has been marked by disciplinary action. His intemperate quarrel with the Mexican federation was based partly on a reaction to punishment meted out after he was judged to have been partying following a friendly in 2010. The saga cost Vela a spot on the 2014 World Cup squad.

Meanwhile, Mexico federation president Decio de Maria reiterated that all players must also meet the federation's disciplinary standards, although he admitted that the final say regarding which players get called up falls to Osorio.

"I am not the one to make the decisions because that is part of the sporting decision," De Maria told ESPN Deportes. "What I can tell you is that that the conversations between players and clubs are ongoing. Discipline is part of belonging to the national team. There is protocol we all must follow and we must be very clear what that protocol is and how it must be respected."

De Maria added that the federation keeps the lines of communication open with players and their clubs.

"The dialogue is continuous and there are some times that things happen in one way and the next time in another. The important thing is that we are all on the same channel and in this particular case, we are."

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