Tottenham Hotspur has suspended midfielder Yves Bissouma for its Premier League opener against Leicester City on August 20 after he was filmed inhaling Nitrous Oxide.
“We’ve suspended Bissouma from Monday’s game. He needs to build that trust back with both me and the group. The door is open for him but behaviour is crucial,” Tottenham’s manager Ange Postecoglou told the reporters on Thursday.
Bissouma posted a social media video on August 10 in which he was seen inhaling from a balloon containing the Class C drug known as laughing gas, for which he later apologised.
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“I want to apologise for these videos. This was a severe lack of judgement,” Bissouma said in a statement on Monday, “I understand how serious this is and the health risks involved, and I also take my responsibility as a footballer and role model very seriously.”
Nitrous oxide possession for recreational use has been a criminal offence in Britain since 2023 and can result in a prison sentence as part of the Government’s anti-social behaviour action plan.
“(I have) been in the game for a long time, when a situation like this arises, I’ve tried to look at them in a couple of ways. First there’s a person and it’s Biss and he’s made a poor decision,” Postecolglou added.
“There are still sanctions involved, and some of those are educational. He is a footballer with responsibilities.”
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Bissouma joined Tottenham from Brighton in 2022 and has made 56 appearances for the club, including 26 starts during the 2023-24 season.
He played for 45 minutes of Tottenham’s friendly against Bayern Munich on Saturday in its final warm-up match, which the German side won 3-2 in London on August 10.
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