Giroud to face disciplinary action after inviting model to team hotel hours before Arsenal game

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger confirmed that disciplinary action would be taken against Olivier Giroud after he apologised for taking a female companion back to the team hotel.

Married Giroud had consistently denied taking Celia Kay to the Four Seasons Hotel in Canary Wharf the night before the 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace on February 2. The striker had earlier issued a grovelling apology to his wife Jennifer and the Arsenal boss after a picture by the pin-up appeared in a national newspaper.

Wenger said: ‘It is an internal matter but I do not want to comment publicly because I respect his privacy.’

A picture taken by the model of Giroud in his hotel room in just underwear was printed in the Sun on Sunday.

Giroud took to social networking site Twitter to apologise to Jennifer - who gave birth to son Paul last June - and his club.

‘I apologise to my wife, family and friends and my manager, team-mates and Arsenal fans,’ he said.

‘I now have to fight for my family and for my club and obtain their forgiveness. Nothing else matters at the moment.’

Kay, who models for international magazines such as Maxim and FHM, was pictured arriving at the Four Seasons hotel in Canary Wharf at 12.50am and leaving at 3.04am that night.

She insists she did not have sex with the 6ft 4in striker, who avoided a club fine when claims were made by Kay last week, insisting to Wenger that no meeting had taken place.

‘Olivier knows the truth and the fact that he lied about us is pathetic,’ Kay told the Sun on Sunday.

‘He’s just digging a bigger hole for himself. If he is big enough to do the crime, he’s got to serve the time.’

The Gunners planned to fine the star up to £230,000 but backed off after his denial. His lawyers also sent a series of letters to the newspaper denying any wrongdoing.

Giroud came on as a second half substitute for Arsenal on Sunday and will face Roberto Martinez’s side on the weekend of March 8.