Tottenham star Dele Alli is the subject of an FA investigation over a video posted on his Snapchat channel in which he mocked the coronavirus outbreak.
Standard Sport’s Dan Kilpatrick looks the possible punishments the midfielder could face, including what happens if the FA deems the post was racist...
What has Dele Alli done?
Alli posted a video on his personal Snapchat account in which he appeared to mock an Asian man and the deadly coronavirus outbreak. The video, posted on Saturday, shows Alli wearing a face mask in an airport departure lounge, accompanied by the message: “Corona whattt (sic), please listen with volume.” The 23-year-old then zoomed the camera towards an unsuspecting man of Asian appearance before cutting to a bottle of antiseptic hand-wash captioned: “This virus gunna (sic) have to be quicker than that to catch me.” Alli was en route to Dubai for a short holiday during the Premier League winter-break.
What happened next?
The video was deleted after a flurry of complaints and Alli has issued two public apologies, including in a video posted to Chinese social media platform Weibo. "It wasn’t funny. I realised that immediately and took it down. I let myself down and the club," he said.
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The FA have launched an investigation into the incident and have written to Alli to ask for his observations. The England midfielder will have three working days to respond to the request, after which the FA have a further three working days to decide whether to issue a charge, a warning or take no further action. If Alli is charged, he will have three working days to respond, after which the FA's regulatory commission, which decides any punishment, will sit within ten days of receipt of his reply. In short, the outcome of the case is unlikely to be decided until towards the end of the month, after Tottenham's matches against Aston Villa and Chelsea.
Who has said what?
Tottenham issue a brief statement saying: "Dele has recognised he made a grave error of judgement and has issued two separate apologies."
A statement from leading anti-racism charity Kick it Out said it was disappointed to see the video, adding: "We are pleased that Dele has acknowledged his mistake and apologised for the incident. Social media provides a welcome and powerful platform for players to connect with fans in a positive way. But that power comes with responsibility and racist stereotypes are not acceptable as ‘banter’ to be broadcast on social media."
Piara Powar, executive director of Football Against Racism in Europe Network, told the Telegraph: "I imagine the FA will be bringing a charge, I can’t see how they couldn’t. This type of racism may be directed at a different community and from someone who should know better, but it is clear what Dele has broadcast is very harmful. He has mocked a people because they are subject to a virulent virus and has included in his mockery an unknown and random individual of East Asian appearance. Racism directed at people of an East Asian background goes uncommented on too frequently, it makes it even more dangerous."
Why has the FA opened an investigation?
The FA has set guidelines for all participants regarding comments to the media and via social media (even on their personal accounts) to ensure players act, at all times, in a proper way and do not bring the game into disrepute. The governing body claims these rules provide a balance between "free speech and protecting the integrity and reputation of the game".
Could his video be deemed racist?
Possibly. Should players be found to have acted in an improper way or brought the game into disrepute, the FA considers any references to: ethnic origin; colour; race; nationality; faith; gender; sexual orientation or disability, to be potentially "aggravating factors".
The incident comes after Asian communities in the UK reported a significant increase in racist incidents in response to global coronavirus crisis.
What punishment could he face?
There are no set sanctions for improper use of social media but if Alli's comments are deemed "clearly pejorative and discriminatory", a ban is likely. Any such punishment would also be accompanied by a mandatory education course and a likely fine.
In a not dissimilar case in November, Manchester City's Bernardo Silva was banned for one match and fined £50,000 after an FA commission found he had "unquestionably" brought the game into disrepute with a tweet about teammate Benjamin Mendy.
The commission found that Silva "did not intend" to be "racist" by comparing Mendy to the character on a packet of Conguitos – a chocolate brand available in Spain and Portugal – in a tweet on September 22 but conceded that many people "would have taken offence to the content." Silva was also required to complete a face-to-face education after admitting a breach of FA Rule E3. The cases are different in that Alli shared the video in a private Snapchat group, rather than on a public forum
