Football: Tottenham's Dele Alli suspended for one match over coronavirus post

Dele Alli.
Dele Alli. Photo credit: Getty

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has been suspended for one match by the Football Association (FA) over a social media post about coronavirus.

The 24-year-old was charged with breaching FA Rule E3 (1), after posting a video of himself at an airport wearing a mask and apparently mocking a man of Asian appearance.

The England international has also been fined £50,000 (NZ$97,802) and ordered to undertake an education course, after he was found guilty by an independent regulatory commission.

Britain has the second-highest death toll in the world from the pandemic, standing at more than 41,000 on Thursday (NZ time), behind only the United States.

Alli has apologised for his behaviour.

"It was an extremely poorly judged joke about a virus that has now affected us more than we could ever have imagined," he says.

"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."

Alli has been thriving in an advanced role under new Spurs manager Jose Mourinho, scoring seven goals across all competitions, since the Portuguese coach took charge in November.

He will now miss Tottenham's first match back, against Manchester United on June 19.

Reuters