Alli banned from Tottenham’s 1st game back for virus post

LONDON (AP) — Dele Alli will miss Tottenham’s first game back from the Premier League’s suspension after receiving a one-match ban on Thursday for a racially insensitive post on social media during the coronavirus outbreak.

Alli put a video on a private Snapchat conversation in February in which the midfielder joked about the virus and appeared to mock an Asian man. The post was forwarded to a British newspaper.

The Football Association said Alli’s actions were “a misguided attempt at humor” but that the player “had not set out to be insulting or to create a racial stereotype.”

Alli was found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute, the FA said, because it constituted an “aggravated breach” by having a reference to race.

The England international will miss Tottenham’s game against Manchester United on June 19. He also was fined 50,000 pounds ($63,000) and must attend an education course.