Opinion: Reason why Tottenham Hotspur must punish Hugo Lloris
Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris was charged with drink-driving. He failed the breathalyzer test after he was pulled over in the early hours of Friday. He was released on bail after being taken to Charing Cross police station. He will appear in court on September 11, two days after France and Netherlands play in a friendly.
Hugo Lloris has certainly given 110 percent for Tottenham during the course of his career. With over 200 appearances to his name, a Spurs career that has spanned seven years, and having been permanent captain of the team since 2015, Lloris has been a truly faithful servant of the club.
Having said all these, it is imperative to note just how important Lloris is to the Spurs team and their vision.
Yet when your captain, a huge role model to fans and outsiders alike, has a drink driving incident, you cannot be lenient with the matter. But this is exactly what Mauricio Pochettino is doing.
You see, there isn't any excuse for anyone driving under the influence of alcohol, certainly not for a 31-year-old captain of both club and country. Unfortunately, Spurs' heads don't feel the same way, and plan to come down easy on the goalkeeper.
Lloris is almost certainly set to maintain his spot in the starting eleven when Tottenham meet The Red Devils. Tactics wise, this would make perfect sense. Vorm and Gazzaniga, Tottenham's less likely choices, do not have the quality the team would need to play in the big game. If Pochettino starts Lloris, the squad has a higher chance of a win, or at least a draw.
Yet, in the life of a club, certain things take more priority than football in certain times. The decision to or not to pick Lloris is one of those things. The skipper shouldn't be drink driving for any reason, and the fact that he's captain should even worsen his punishment. If he starts the next match, it sends a very unprofessional message to the club's supporters.
True, the Spurs execs may sanction him outside the limelight, but nothing can compare to him missing an important league fixture that he would have been prepping for. In fact, that should be just the beginning.
Another move would be to strip him of the captain's armband. It would be perfect to teach a lesson to other players, and make clear the club's stance on certain disciplinary matters, especially the ones that involve the police and arrests.
Lloris needs to be punished. It is the simplest professional decision the club can take.