Published 06:47 IST, April 22nd 2020
Spurs stars apologise after flouting govt norms of social distancing amid Covid pandemic
In a video, Aurier is seen running shuttles whilst sitting next to Sissoko and not following the social distancing guidelines set by the government.
Tottenham Hotspurs have once again come under the scanner after Serge Aurier and Moussa Sissoko were spotted training together, in clear violation of the British government's guidelines. The players were criticised after posting videos of their training on Instagram.
'We have a responsibility to be role models...'
In the video, Aurier is seen running shuttles whilst sitting next to Sissoko and not following the social distancing guidelines set by the government.
In a joint statement issued later, the players said, "We recognise that as professional footballers we have a responsibility to be role models, particularly during this uncertain period that everyone around the world is facing. We wish to apologise for not setting the right example here. We must all respect the government advice to minimise the number of lives lost during this pandemic. We cannot thank NHS staff enough for their tireless work at this time and we shall both be making a financial donation to show our support for their efforts."
This isn't the first time since Premier league football has been suspended that the North London club has been criticised for not maintaining the government orders. In March, midfielder Dele Alli was seen partying at a local night club in London.
In April, the players and staff, including manager Jose Mourinho was spotted flouting social distancing guidelines. Portuguese boss Mourinho was pictured training with Tanguy Ndombele at Hadley Common, while Davinson Sanchez and Ryan Sessegnon were seen running side by side in the same public park in north London. Aurier also posted a video of himself jogging alongside another person on Instagram.
The club later stated that they will be reinforcing the message of social distancing to the players and the staff. Mourinho later said, "I accept that my actions were not in line with government protocol. It is vital we all play our part and follow government advice in order to support our heroes in the NHS and save lives."
Updated 06:47 IST, April 22nd 2020