Former Queens Park Rangers captain Joey Barton regrets his sending off against Manchester City on the final day of last season.
Barton was given a straight red card after lashing out at Carlos Tevez and two other players in the match at Etihad Stadium.
QPR, leading 2-1 at the time of Barton’s dismissal, went on to lose 3-2, and were fortunate to escape relegation as City claimed the English Premier League title.
Barton was banned for 12 matches by the Football Association and stripped of the QPR captaincy, before being shipped out on loan to Marseille.
“I became a bit p****d off at football, if I’m being honest. I was in two minds,” Barton told Sports Illustrated.
“I was really upset with the way I behaved, and I was thinking, do I really need to put myself through this anymore?
“I’m in a good financial position after a 10-year career in the English Premier League. My passion for the game had sort of dissipated.”
Barton has outlined his desire to stay at Marseille in the past week, expressing an affinity for the city and its attitude towards football and life, comparing it to his hometown of Liverpool.
“It’s very similar to the place I grew up in. Marseille and Liverpool are both major ports, and there are similarities in terms of the economic and social situations. I really get it. Even though I don’t speak the language, it felt right,” he said.
“Football and life, there’s no difference between the two in Marseille and Liverpool. In Paris and London, life and football are two separate things.”
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