April 29 – Tottenham Hotspur’s faint hopes of winning their first English league title since 1961 have been given an untimely setback after their exciting midfielder Dele Alli, almost certain to line up for England at this summer’s Euros, was banned for three games for violent conduct and will miss the rest of the season.
Alli, named by his fellow professionals as Young Player of the Year and who has just turned 20, was shown by television cameras to have punched West Bromwich Albion’s Claudio Yacob in the stomach during last Monday’s Premier League 1-1 draw. The 26th-minute incident was not in the referee’s report.
Alli, who has been hugely influential for Tottenham this season with a string of star performances, contested the standard three-match penalty as “clearly excessive”, but the claim was rejected according to the English Football Association. “Shouldn’t have reacted like I did. Will learn from this and come back stronger,” Alli subsequently tweeted.
Ironically his next competitive game could be England’s Euro 2016 opener against Russia in Marseille on June 11.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino suggested Alli’s youthful exuberance and relative immaturity made him an obvious target. “Sometimes the opponents find him and try to provoke. They know he has a strong character and may react,” said Pochettino, whose team are seven points behind Leicester with three games remaining.
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