Dele Alli banned 1 match for mocking Asian man in coronavirus post
Dele Alli will miss Tottenham Hotspur's match against Manchester United on June 19 - the club's first since the Premier League was suspended - after receiving a one-match ban and a £50,000 fine for appearing to ridicule an Asian man in February.
The video, which Alli posted to Snapchat, showed the player wearing a face mask in an airport lounge with the subtitle, "Corona whattt, please listen with volume." Alli then pointed the camera at an Asian man sitting across from him.
He subsequently deleted the video.
"In response to the FA decision, I would like to apologize again for any offense caused by my behavior," the 24-year-old said in a statement. "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."
During a hearing this week, both the FA and Alli referenced Bernardo Silva's one-match ban for a racist tweet comparing teammate Benjamin Mendy to a Spanish candy brand's mascot. Silva also received a £50,000 fine at the time.
Alli posted the video as the fears over the coronavirus began to spread in Europe. More than 41,000 people have died from the virus in the UK.