August 16 – Tottenham Hotspur’s Mali international midfielder Yves Bissouma will miss the start of the Premier League season after being suspended by the club following an investigation into social media footage showing him appearing to inhale nitrous oxide, or laughing gas.
Bissouma has been ruled out of Tottenham’s Premier League opener at newly promoted Leicester on Monday.
Possession of nitrous oxide – also known as laughing gas – for recreational use has been a criminal offence in the United Kingdom since 2023 and can result in a two-year prison sentence for repeat offenders.
“We’ve suspended him for Monday’s game,” said Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou. “The door is open for him and hopefully we can help him to realise the decisions he makes impact more than just him. Hopefully it allows him to make better decisions moving forward.”
Bissouma, who joined Spurs from Brighton for £30 million in 2022, had played 45 minutes in the friendly loss to Bayern Munich last Saturday. Later that day he posted a video of himself on social media which showed him inhaling from a balloon.
The 27-year-old has since apologised for what he described as a “severe lack of judgement”.
“I want to apologise for these videos. 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.”