Tottenham suspends Yves Bissouma over laughing gas video

Yves Bissouma has been banned for one match by Tottenham after the player filmed himself inhaling laughing gas, with manager Ange Postecoglou admitting he now has to win back the trust of his teammates.

Bissouma, 27, posted a video of himself on social media on Saturday inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon, a Class C drug known as laughing gas or NOS, whose recreational use was criminalized last year.

The player immediately apologised, but Spurs manager Postecoglou announced that he had been left out of the squad for Monday’s away game at Leicester City, the club’s opening game of the Premier League season.

“He has responsibilities,” said the Australian. “Responsibility to the club, his teammates, our fans and everyone associated with the club – and he has failed to live up to those responsibilities.”

“There must be sanctions for this. He will not be available on Monday, we have banned him from the game on Monday.”

“In addition, trust must be built between Biss (Bissouma) and me and between Biss and the group. He will have to work hard from now on to regain that, and it has nothing to do with just one game.

“He may get a one-game suspension, but he has to earn it. The door is open for him and hopefully we can help him realise that his decisions don’t just affect him and hopefully enable him to make better decisions in the future.”

It is not clear whether a criminal investigation will be launched as a result. “That’s not my area, mate, and I wouldn’t even bother discussing it because that’s totally out of my control,” Postegoclou added.

Postecoglou made it clear that he and the club would do everything they could to help Bissouma avoid future problems. “From now on, it’s about helping him make better decisions, both as a person and as a footballer,” he said.

“There is a person involved, and in this case it is Biss, and he made a really bad decision. You want to understand that and try to help him through it and as a club we can make sure he doesn’t make decisions like that in the future.

“There are still sanctions involved in this context and some of those sanctions include education and a clearer understanding of why he did what he did and how wrong it was. Hopefully that will get him out of this – you always want to give people the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.”

Bissouma, who joined Spurs from Brighton for £30 million in 2022, made it clear earlier this week that he was aware of the seriousness of his mistake. “I want to apologise for those videos. That was a serious lack of judgement,” he said.

“I understand the seriousness of the situation and the associated health risks and I also take my responsibility as a footballer and role model very seriously.”

“He has a professional responsibility”

Bissouma is not the first well-known footballer to have used the substance. “How widespread it is, I don’t know because it is miles away from my life,” Postecoglou added. “But I think the best way is to be aware of it and educate yourself about it and understand the consequences of such decisions.”

“It has personal consequences because it is illegal. That is a high price to pay. I am sure Biss is like any other person, he has people in his life who love him, parents, and they certainly would not want to see this.

“Then there is the professional responsibility. The image of the game. Not the image, but the example you set as a professional footballer, because there are so many people who follow the Premier League and we are all in a pretty privileged position.”

“We are well paid for it. But there is also a certain responsibility that comes with what we do. Hopefully, with the necessary education and awareness, there will be a reason why it is illegal.”

“It’s not just that someone thought, ‘Let’s just ban this for no particular reason.’ There’s a scientific explanation for it.

“He made a bad choice. But in this context, we all make mistakes and there should always be a chance for rehabilitation and redemption for every person, including footballers.”

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.