This archive report was first published on 11 June 2020.
On February 26, the Football Association charged Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli with misconduct for a Snapchat clip he posted in the weeks before the coronavirus pandemic took hold. The video, which has since been deleted, showed Alli making fun of an Asian man in an airport departure lounge.
Published on February 26, the video had the title: "Corona whattt, please listen with volume". It cut to an unsuspecting man of Asian appearance before panning to a bottle of antiseptic hand wash, underneath which appeared the caption: "This virus gunna have to be quicker than that to catch me".
After the video sparked outrage, Alli apologized on the Chinese social media network Weibo. The one-game suspension, announced on June 11, means Alli will miss Tottenham's game at home to Manchester United on June 19, their first of the resumed season.
Dele Alli has been suspended for one match with immediate effect, fined £50,000 and must undertake a face-to-face education course, an FA statement read. In response to the FA decision, Alli expressed regret for his action, stating: "In response to the FA decision, I would like to apologise again for any offence caused by my behaviour... 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".
As part of his punishment, Alli will also have to attend an educational course and pay a Sh6.3 million ($63,000) fine. This is not the first time Alli has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, as knife-carrying burglars broke into his house recently.
