Banned for mocking COVID-19: Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli to miss Manchester United clash after coronavirus joke on Snapchat

Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli has been slapped with a £50,000 fine and suspended for one match after posting a video mocking the COVID-19 pandemic in February.

Alli appeared to joke about the coronavirus during a post he shared on his Snapchat account as he also seemed to make fun of an Asian gentleman while at an airport.

The Football Association reviewed the footage and decided to punish the Spurs and England midfielder with a £50,000 ($63,250) fine and a one-game ban. He was also ordered to undertake a course of education.

The ban means Alli will miss Tottenham's clash with Manchester United on June 19.

Alli issued an apology for the incident, saying, "In response to the FA decision, I would like to apologize again for any offense caused by my behavior.

"It was an extremely poorly judged joke about a virus that has now affected us more than we could ever have imagined.

"I'm grateful that The FA has confirmed that my actions were not racist because I despise racism of any kind.

"We all need to be mindful of the words and actions we use and how they can be perceived by others."

An official statement from the FA read, "The Tottenham Hotspur FC player denied that a social media post breached FA Rule E3(1), as it was insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute, and constituted an "Aggravated Breach", which is defined in FA Rule E3(2), as it included a reference, whether express or implied, to race and/or colour and/or ethnic origin and/or nationality.

"However, it was subsequently found proven by an independent Regulatory Commission."