Not for me! Yaya Toure turns down man-of-the-match champagne on religious grounds
PUBLISHED: 16:25 GMT, 6 May 2012 | UPDATED: 16:26 GMT, 6 May 2012
Manchester City goal hero Yaya Toure forfeited his man of the match champagne on religious grounds, the day it was revealed the Premier League considered changing the 'prize' for that very reason.
In a statement a spokesman for England's top flight admitted that advice had been sought to ensure that all individuals were catered for, and no offence was caused, when it came to post-match awards.
However it was agreed the champagne was 'treated as a highly-coveted award' and no further steps were taken.
Double trouble: Yaya Toure scored twice as Manchester City downed Newcastle
The issue, though, was bought into focus on Sunday afternoon when City star Toure, a Muslim from the Ivory Coast, handed the large bottle of alcohol to team-mate Joleon Lescott.
Toure was the obvious choice for man of the match having scored both goals in a 2-0 win at Newcastle which put City on the cusp of a first league title since 1968.
But on receiving the champagne, he turned to Lescott and said: 'I don't drink because I am a Muslim, so you keep it.'
Throughout this season, 68 nationalities have been represented in the Premier League
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