Tottenham Hotspur set to spend £23 million on Serge Aurier, who called his boss ‘a faggot’
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Premier League title contenders Tottenham Hotspur are set to pay tens of millions of pounds for a player who called his boss “a faggot.”
Spurs, who are currently playing at Wembley Stadium, are reportedly ready to complete the £23 million signing of Serge Aurier from French side Paris Saint-Germain.
The Ivory Coast international was suspended by PSG for several months after he made homophobic comments during a Periscope broadcast to fans.
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In the live video chat, Aurier suggested that his manager Laurent Blanc and teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic had engaged in oral sex and referred to Blanc as “une fiotte” (faggot).
That’s right: one of the most prominent sides in the Premier League – which has never had an out gay player – is splurging on a player who was suspended for being homophobic.
The unsolicited homophobic attacks on Blanc, a World Cup winner with France, and Ibrahimovic, who has won Italian, French and Spanish titles, led to a huge backlash against Aurier.
He apologised for the comments and was allowed to rejoin the first team a year ago, at the beginning of last season.
His transfer to Spurs means that in the coming months Aurier may be lining up against Ibrahimovic, who has since joined Manchester United.
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The 24-year-old defender was also handed a two-month suspended prison sentence and €600 fine last year for assaulting a police officer outside a Paris nightclub.
This resulted in him not being allowed into Britain to play for PSG in a Champions League match against Arsenal.
But the Home Office has reportedly given Aurier a work permit today, meaning that the right-back will be playing at England’s national stadium before too long.
Chris Paouros and Simon Gray, Co-Chairs of Proud Lilywhites, said: “We were initially unhappy with the signing, but given our positive dialogue with the Club we would like to use this as an opportunity to build bridges and make lasting change.
“Football has the power to transform individuals’ lives and entire communities. At its best, it doesn’t merely delight us: it can provide us with a chance to transcend geographical boundaries and learn to work and play and celebrate together.
“Players, Clubs and the Football Authorities need to take this responsibility seriously, so what happens when players such as Serge Aurier who have been openly homophobic in the past join a new Club and have a fresh start? It actually gives us an opportunity to talk about the kind of game we want to see, players we want to support; the kind of Clubs we want to be and make effective and deep-rooted change.
“We started the Proud Lilywhites in 2014 because we wanted to ensure that every Spurs fan, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity felt safe to enjoy watching their football team, knew they had a community with which to watch it and felt that they belonged. Our flag, which stood tall at White Hart Lane, became a testament to this.
“We wanted to be at the forefront of social and cultural transformation via football — changing hearts and minds – being part of creating the conditions that ensure all LGBT+ fans and staff feel safe and welcome in the football family.
“But this is a journey – we don’t want to recriminate. One of our main tools for change is education, so we’d like to see engagement with LGBT+ fans is at the top of Serge’s list.
“We’ve already done great work with Stewards, Club staff and fans and look forward to working with the Club and other supporters, to show Serge Aurier that Spurs fans are incredibly diverse, welcoming and loyal.
“We all love this game and we want to win matches and trophies, but not at any cost. Homophobic language, when unchallenged, can have consequences: we have to be the change we want to see. Making change, player by player, even fan by fan if necessary, is why we’re here and we won’t rest until we’ve done it.
“Welcome to the famous Tottenham Hotspur Serge, we look forward to you getting to know us.”
Premier League striker Andre Gray asked for forgiveness last year after a flurry of tweets resurfaced in which he wrote that gay people should “burn” and “die,” adding: “#MakesMeSick”.
Andre Gray
He was suspended for four matches and fined £25,000 after incurring sparking outrage with the posts.
The Burnley striker, who has since moved to fellow Premier League side Watford, said earlier this year that he hoped he could be held up as a figure of change.
Aurier’s transfer follows an openly gay referee officiating a professional football match for the first time in England last night.
Ryan Atkin, who came out earlier this month , was the fourth referee for a game in the Checkatrade Trophy.
