Blooming heck! Naked footballer sacked

Updated 15.23 Thu Feb 15 2007
Keywords: Alex Da Rosa, footballer, Naked

A Brazilian footballer has been fired by Bolivian club Blooming for stripping in front of TV cameras.

Alex Da Rosa, a naturalized Bolivian citizen, said he just took off his clothes beside his colleagues at a news conference as a joke.

"We were just being guys, journalists and friends" - Alex Da Rosa

The midfielder told reporters: "We were just being guys, journalists and friends."

Blooming president Carlos Bendeck said the club would not tolerate such behaviour on his team.

The incident came in the wake of TV cameras catching four of his players entering a bar and drinking until late at night in direct violation of team rules.

The news conference was being held by the four players said to have been involved. They were hit by a 20 per cent pay cut.

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