Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba is the latest player to distance himself from a petition to UEFA denouncing awarding the European Under-21 Championships to Israel.

The petition, the initiative of French-born Mali striker Frederic Kanoute who now plays in China with Beijing Gunan, was published on the former Lyon, Tottenham and West Ham striker’s website last week.

But Drogba joined a growing band of players whose names appeared on the list to state he had never signed the protest.

“My name was on a list of signatories of a petition supporting Palestine,” he wrote on his website.

“Please note, I did not sign this petition or give my support to this initiative, because I have never got involved in any conflicts, even in my own country the Ivory Coast.”

Earlier, Newcastle United’s French international midfielder Yohan Cabaye and Valenciennes striker Anthony Le Tallec also said they had not been involved in the initiative.

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