Let Serge Aurier decide if he wants to play or not, says Jose Mourinho
Jul 15, 2020
Newcastle [UK], July 15 : Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho said he will let defender Serge Aurier decide if he wants to play or not following his brother's death.
On Monday, Serge's brother Christopher Aurier was shot dead in Toulouse. According to local media reports, Christopher was fatally shot and was hit in the abdomen by a suspect. He was confirmed dead after he was taken to the hospital. The suspect is on the run and police have started an investigation into the matter.
"I still don't know [if the player would train later that day], I don't know what he is keen to do, I am not going to put any pressure on him. Maybe he travels with us because it is good for him to travel but then he is not ready to play. At this moment I have no idea. I have no idea, the only thinking that is clear is that we are here to support him and not to demand anything of him at all," Goal.com quoted Mourinho as saying.
"[We gave him] all the options. He can do what he wants, he can go to France, he can stay here, he can come to training, he can go to the game. That's obvious, that's human, family is more important in this tragic situation than our need for him and our crucial match. Nothing matters, he does what he wants," he added.
Tottenham had issued a statement and mourned the demise and expressed solidarity with Serge saying they are with the defender in these difficult times.
"The Club is deeply saddened to confirm media reports that Serge Aurier's brother passed away in the early hours of this morning. We are supporting Serge at this difficult time and we ask that the privacy of the player and his family is respected," the club had said in a statement.
"Everybody at the Club sends their sincerest condolences to Serge and his family. Our thoughts are with them all," it added.
Mourinho confirmed he will talk with Aurier before deciding whether to involve him.
"Let me speak with him and we will see. At this moment I don't know. I spoke with him on the phone, no more than that. We gave him space to process, space for him to be involved with his family. We are going to make the decision that he wants. [Whether he plays] depends on the feelings I have on the conversation. We are going to speak," he said.
Tottenham will take on Newcastle at St James' Park later in the day.
