Tottenham complain to Premier League over Arsenal fan chant video
Tottenham Hotspur have lodged a formal complaint to the Premier League over a video that surfaced online showing an ESPN Brazil reporter joining in with Arsenal fans singing derogatory chants about the north London club.
According to The Times, Spurs took issue with footage of ESPN Brazil reporter Joao Castelo-Branco singing alongside Arsenal supporters, with chants branding Tottenham “s***” and declaring how much they “hate” the club.
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As part of the complaint, Tottenham have reportedly told the Premier League that they no longer believe it is appropriate for Castelo-Branco to continue covering their matches for ESPN Brazil. The report also notes that Spurs are not seeking to block ESPN Brazil from covering their games more broadly, despite the formal objection.
Reporter issues apology
Castelo-Branco has since apologised, with the video taken down after Tottenham first raised concerns about its content. Speaking to The Times, he said: “I wanted to apologise to the club for the video I recorded with Arsenal fans in Brazil singing a derogatory chant about Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Given my role as a correspondent in the UK I feel I made a mistake. The video was posted on the podcast Instagram page and reproduced on my personal page.”
He continued: “I understand it can be offensive to Spurs and Spurs fans and I should have thought more about singing that and the reach it could have. ESPN was notified by the Premier League about Tottenham seeing and disliking the post and we agreed to delete it. Hopefully we can move on and I will rethink and be more careful with the boundaries of having that persona on the podcast.”
Castelo-Branco is understood to have also sent Tottenham a direct apology by email and taken part in an online meeting involving ESPN and the Premier League, who are reported to be in talks with both parties to resolve the matter.
What happens next
The incident centres on footage of Arsenal supporters rather than any involvement from the club itself, and there is nothing in the report to suggest Arsenal has been asked to comment or take any action.
The Premier League's mediation between Tottenham and ESPN Brazil continues behind the scenes, with no indication yet of whether Castelo-Branco will be removed from Spurs coverage going forward.
Tottenham return to Premier League action this weekend away at Leeds United, their last fixture before the November international break.
