Dele Alli: Tottenham midfielder apologises for coronavirus ‘joke’

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has apologised for a post on social media about coronavirus, saying “I let myself down and the club”.

Alli, 23, put a video on Snapchat in which he joked about the outbreak and appeared to mock an Asian man.

He later deleted the post and then released a new video on Chinese social media platform Weibo to apologise.

The Football Association has written to Alli to ask for his observations regarding the post.

The coronavirus outbreak has led to more than 900 deaths in China, with over 40,000 cases reported worldwide.

The UK government has described the virus as a “serious and imminent threat” to public health.

The video posted by Alli showed him wearing a face mask in an airport lounge, before moving the camera to show a man of Asian appearance, and then zooming in on a bottle of antiseptic hand wash.

“It wasn't funny and I realised that immediately and took it down. I let myself down and the club,” said the England international Alli.

“It isn't something that should be joked about. I'm sending all my love and all my thoughts and prayers to everyone in China.”