Ivorian defender Serge Aurier is currently facing the prospect of a heavy fine after appearing to breach UK lockdown rules for the third time. The Tottenham Hotspur defender uploaded a picture on Instagram after receiving a haircut from his barber Justin Carr.
The photo received criticism from fans considering the coronavirus pandemic which has affected the UK, forcing the government to introduce lockdown and social distancing rules. But Aurier is not cowed by the barrage of disapproval and has come out to defend his actions.
Responding on Instagram, Aurier first wrote “Bla-bla-bla” followed by several snoozing emojis in a post on Instagram Stories. He then said, “My hairdresser is negative and me too so stop talking in a vacuum and put on masks and gloves when you come to take pictures at the training center its part of the rules too.”
A spokesman for the north London club has said: “We are investigating the circumstances and will deal with the incident appropriately.”
Aurier has already been caught flouting lockdown rules twice, having posted a video of himself running with a friend and when he and team-mate Moussa Sissoko met up to train. Both players apologized and made a donation to the NHS, saying: “We wish to apologize for not setting the right example here. We must all respect the government advice to minimize the number of lives lost during this pandemic. We cannot thank NHS staff enough for their tireless work at this time and we shall both be making a financial donation to show our support for their efforts.”
Manager Jose Mourinho was also criticized last month when he oversaw a session involving Tanguy Ndombele at a park.
Davinson Sanchez and Ryan Sessegnon were also spotted running together.
Aurier joins a list of Premier League footballers who broke lockdown rules more than once. Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has broken social distancing guidelines twice. He was reprimanded in April after it was widely reported he held a party at his home.
The England defender also admitted wrongdoing earlier this month after reports he visited his sister and parents in Sheffield.
Arsenal players David Luiz, Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pepe and Granit Xhaka were spoken to by the club for breaking lockdown guidelines in April.