This archive report was first published on 11 June 2020.
Dele Alli, a midfielder for Tottenham, will miss the highly anticipated match against Manchester United when the 2019/20 season resumes due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, Tottenham coach Jose Mourinho received a significant blow after Alli was handed a one-match ban by the Football Association (FA) for an insensitive social media post.
As a result, Alli was fined £50,000 (Sh7 million) and ordered to complete a face-to-face education course following a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to his post in February.
The incident occurred when Alli posted a Snapchat video that showed him mocking an Asian man in reference to Covid-19.
On the video, Alli wore a protective facemask in an airport and was heard saying, "Corona whattt, please listen with volume." The video then cut to the gentleman, who appeared to be unaware he was being filmed, before panning to a bottle of antiseptic handwash.
Underneath the video, a caption read: "This virus gunna have to be quicker than that to catch me."
England star Alli apologized in a statement posted on Tottenham's official website, saying, "In response to the FA decision, I would like to apologise again for any offence caused by my behaviour. It was an extremely poorly judged joke about a virus that has now affected us more than we could ever have imagined."
He added, "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 will be eager to get back on winning ways after a run of five defeats in six matches prior to football being suspended back in mid-March.
The game against Manchester United will be of huge importance for both teams, with Manchester United looking to build on their 2-0 victory over cross-city rivals Manchester City last time out.
