Dele Alli is BANNED for Tottenham’s first match back in the Premier League against Manchester United over the ‘racist’ social media video he posted mocking an Asian man over spreading coronavirus
- Dele Alli appeared to mock an Asian man over coronavirus in February
- Alli posted a video showing a man of Asian descent with the caption: ‘Corona whatttttt, please listen with volume’
- Alli deleted the video within minutes of posting it and apologised twice
- He told the FA hearing that he had been ‘betrayed’ by a friend on Snapchat
- He will miss Spurs’ first game back against Manchester United a week on Friday
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Dele Alli has been hit with a one-game ban by the Football Association for his controversial social media post earlier this year in which he appeared to mock an Asian man over the coronavirus.
The Tottenham star has been at the centre of an FA investigation and will now miss his team’s Project Restart opener against Manchester United a week on Friday after disciplinary chiefs slapped the midfielder with a one-match suspension and £50,000 fine.
He will also be required to undertake an FA educational course.
Dele Alli landed himself in hot water after posting an insensitive video about coronavirus
In the video, he appeared to mock an Asian man and snapped a picture of some handwash
The 23-year-old has since taken the video down, and then posted an apology video on Weibo
Alli posted a video showing a man of Asian descent with the caption: ‘Corona whatttttt, please listen with volume.’
In the next part of the Snapchat story, the midfielder wears a mask while appearing to feign concern. He then shows a bottle of handwash, accompanied by the caption: ‘This virus gunna have to be quicker than that to catch me.’
Alli deleted the video within minutes of posting it and apologised twice, nevertheless the FA have deemed the footage to have racial connotations.
Alli said: ‘In response to the FA decision, I would like to apologise again for any offence caused by my actions on 6th February.
‘It was an extremely poorly judged joke about a virus that has now affected us more than we could ever have imagined.
‘I’m grateful that the FA has confirmed that my actions were not racist because I despise racism of any kind.
‘We all need to be mindful of the words and actions we use and how they can be perceived by others.’
Tottenham star Alli has been hit with a one-game ban by the Football Association
England international Alli has issued an apology over his use of the social media video
The FA commission wrote: ‘The creation and distribution of the offending material was more the product of spontaneous ill-judged stupidity rather than any sense of malicious intent.’
In November, Manchester City star Bernardo Silva was banned for one game and fined £50,000 for a social media post in which he compared team-mate Benjamin Mendy to the character on a packet of Conguitos – a chocolate brand available in Spain and Portugal.
An FA commission accepted Silva did not intend to be ‘racist’ against Mendy, but still felt compelled to dish out the suspension given the connotations.
Sportsmail revealed in February that Alli would tell disciplinary chiefs the video was not racist but a misjudged joke.
The midfielder will miss Tottenham’s return match against Manchester United next Friday
Silva’s social media post regarding Mendy was made on Twitter which is a public forum.
Unlike Silva’s post regarding Mendy which was made on Twitter – a public forum – Alli’s video was meant for private consumption; the England star posting it on his private Snapchat account, meaning only people he has verified have access to his posts.
However, the video in question was somehow leaked to the Daily Star on Sunday.
In his hearing, Alli said that he had been ‘betrayed’ by a friend who sold the video on.
