Following Tottenham’s FA Cup fifth-round loss to Norwich City, Eric Dier, after he entered the stands to confront a supporter is set to come under scrutiny from a Football Association investigation.
With Dier having becoming embroiled in a row that apparently involved his brother, Stats Perform understands the FA will be investigating the incident.
The footage of the England international climbing over rows of seats to approach a fan at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, emerged on social media after Spurs’ shoot-out defeat on Wednesday.
With the 26-year-old seemingly irked by the words of someone in the crowd as he walked off the field, Dier scored his penalty but the hosts were beaten 3-2 on spot-kicks.
While Spurs boss Jose Mourinho said he would not support any club sanctions against his player, conceded saying
“Eric Dier did what we as professionals cannot do”.
Dier’s whose brother who was in the stand and was “not happy” with the situation had to be eventually held back by stewards. Jose Mourinho said:
“I think Eric did what we professionals cannot do but probably every one of us would do.”
The Football Association and Tottenham are investigating the incident. Tim Krul, the keeper saved two efforts to put the Canaries into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
The England international, Eric Dier, has 40 England caps and converted the crucial penalty against the relegation fighting Norwich City though Spurs lost.
Portugues tactician, Jose Mourinho said:
“I repeat we professionals cannot do it, but I repeat I am with the player and I understand the player. The fans were with the team until the last penalty kick that we missed.
“This person insulted Eric, the family was there, the younger brother was not happy with the situation.”
On the prospect of the club taking action against Dier,
“If the club does that I will not agree, but he did wrong.”
The clash between the player and the fan happened in the area behind the dugouts. The area refers to the corporate section and the Portuguese gaffer criticised the management for not placing the real Tottenham fans in that corporate section.
Tottenham Hotspurs manager, Jose Mourinho added:
“The people that are in these privileged positions by the tunnel, of course some are Tottenham fans.
“But I think a lot of corporate, a lot of invitation, a lot of people with special status [are in there] and probably it is the place of the stadium where I sometimes have doubts over if they are the real Tottenham fans, because these [real fans] are the ones who support the boys until the last.”
Eric Dier running and jumping over the pitchside barriers into the stand at the end of the game, is what the video on social media shows. The England international makes a beeline for a fan and climbed successively over the seats. And further, the player reached the hospitality boxes.
Another video shows that the player being restrained by the fans and security while the fans were seen shouting “he’s my brother”. The fan was further led away by the security with his arm around his necks and was parried away into the safety.
