Tottenham Hotspur have sanctioned Malian midfielder, Yves Bissouma after it appeared that he was inhaling laughing gas in an online video which has since gone viral ahead of the EPL opener against newly promoted Foxes.
Head coach Ange Postecoglou while delivering his team news update ahead of the club’s first game of the Premier League season – Monday’s trip to Leicester City confirmed that the former Brighton midfielder won’t be part of the season opener following his unsportsmanlike antics.
The Austria gaffer expressed his disappointment with Bissouma’s actions, describing them as a “poor decision.” The incident comes at a critical time for the club as they prepare for the start of the Premier League season.
Speaking about Bissouma, Postecoglou said: ‘Look, again I’ve been in the game for a long time and every time situations like this arise. They do happen. I’ve always tried to look at them in a few ways as there’s a person involved. In this case it’s Biss.
‘He’s made a really poor decision and we want to try and help through that and we as a club want to try and make sure he doesn’t make those decisions in the future.
Within that context there are sanctions involved some of those sanctions include education and giving him a clear understanding over why he did was wrong. And hopefully he comes out of it.
‘You always want to give people an opportunity to learn from their mistakes.
‘The second part of that is that he is a footballer and he has responsibilities to the club and team-mates and supporters and he has failed in those duties – so there have to be sanctions for that.
‘He won’t be available for Monday we’ve suspended him for Monday’s game. But there is also some relationship building between Biss and me and the group. That’s what he needs to work hard at to try and win that back.
‘Hopefully the door is open for him and hopefully we can help him realised that the decision impacts more than just him and allow him to make better decisions going forward”, as culled from Dailymail UK.
Yves Bissouma has found himself at the center of controversy after a video of him inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon surfaced online. The footage, which was shared on Bissouma’s private Snapchat account, shows him laughing while in a chauffeur-driven limousine as obtained by The Sun.
The incident has sparked widespread criticism and has come at an inopportune time for the player, just one week before Tottenham’s opening match of the 2024-2025 Premier League season.
He has since issued a public apology for his recent behavior, acknowledging a “severe lack of judgment”, insisting that he was aware of the risks associated with the substance.
The recreational use of nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” was outlawed in the UK last year. The substance is typically contained in canisters, which can be purchased in various sizes. Users inhale nitrous oxide from balloons filled with the gas, seeking a temporary euphoric effect.
However, the recreational use of nitrous oxide carries significant health risks. Inhaling the gas can lead to a range of adverse effects, including heart attacks, strokes, and brain damage. There have been documented cases of fatalities associated with nitrous oxide use.