Spurs suspend Bissouma for EPL opener

LONDON (AP):

Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma will miss the start of the English Premier League (EPL) season after being suspended by the club following an investigation into footage showing him appearing to inhale nitrous oxide, or laughing gas.

Bissouma uploaded clips of himself using nitrous oxide, which is now a Class C drug according to British law, onto social media site Snapchat last weekend.

The Mali international has apologised and acknowledged in a statement his “severe lack of judgement”.

Following an investigation, Bissouma was handed a one-match suspension – meaning he will miss Tottenham’s Premier League opener at Leicester on Monday.

“He is a footballer of this club – he has responsibilities to the club, to his teammates, to our supporters, to everyone associated with the club, and he has failed in those duties,” Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said yesterday.

“He won’t be available for Monday ... but beyond that, there is also some trust-building that needs to happen between Biss and me, and Biss and the group. That’s what he needs to work hard at, to win that back.”

Nitrous oxide is used medically as an anaesthetic and pain reliever. But people also use the drug to get high. Heavy use can cause damage to brain and nerve tissue.

Postecoglou said the sanctions for Bissouma also needed to involve some education for the player, to give him an “understanding of why he did what he did and how wrong it was.”

“There’s a person involved,” the Australian coach said. “In this case, it’s Biss and he’s made a really poor decision. You want to understand that and try and help him through that, as a club ... to make sure he doesn’t make those kind of choices and decisions in the future.”

Bissouma, who joined Tottenham from Brighton in 2022, made 26 starts under Postecoglou during the 2023-24 season.