Tottenham suspend Bissouma for Premier League opener after video shows him inhaling nitrous oxide

Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma will miss the start of the Premier League season after being suspended by the club following an investigation into footage showing him apparently inhaling nitrous oxide, or laughing gas.

Bissouma uploaded clips of himself using nitrous oxide, which is now a class C drug under British law, to social media site Snapchat last weekend.

The Malian international has apologized and acknowledged in a statement his “serious lack of judgment”

Following an investigation, Bissouma has been handed a one-match ban, meaning he will miss Tottenham's opening Premier League game at Leicester on Monday.

“He is a footballer of this club, he has responsibilities to the club, to his team-mates, to our supporters, to everyone associated with the club, and he has failed in those duties,” Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said on Thursday.

“He won't be available for Monday… but beyond that, we also have to build trust between Biss and me, and between Biss and the group. That's what he has to work hard on, to get it back.”

Nitrous oxide is used for medical purposes as an anesthetic and painkiller, but it is also used to get high. Excessive use can cause damage to the brain and nervous tissue.

Postecoglou said any sanctions against Bissouma should also involve some form of education for the player, to give him an “understanding of why he did what he did and how wrong it was”.

“There is one person involved,” the Australian coach said. “In this case, it is Biss, and he has made a very bad decision. We want to understand him and try to help him get over it, as a club… to make sure he doesn't make those kinds of decisions in the future.”

Bissouma, who joined Tottenham from Brighton in 2022, started 26 times under Postecoglou during the 2023-24 season.