Leeds United fans have taken a sharp swipe at Tottenham Hotspur, firing off a 28-word message after hearing that Spurs had gone to the Premier League to complain about an ESPN reporter. The jibe spread fast across social media, and plenty of supporters felt it summed up the mood perfectly. It also landed at a bad time for Tottenham, who were already under scrutiny and were about to face a Leeds side with every reason to enjoy their discomfort.
At the heart of the row is João Castelo-Branco, a correspondent for ESPN Brasil. Tottenham filed a formal complaint with the Premier League and asked that he no longer cover the club, whether at matches, press conferences or in any interviews. The trigger was a video of him, an openly devoted Arsenal supporter, joining Gunners fans in Brazil as they sang an insulting chant about Spurs. With the North London rivalry as bitter as it is, the clip was always going to hit a nerve, and Tottenham chose to take it further rather than shrug it off.
The club was careful about how far it went, though. It made clear it had no issue with ESPN Brazil broadcasting its games. The objection was to this one reporter being assigned to them, and Spurs also asked that he stay away from their players and manager Roberto De Zerbi. So the target was an individual, not the broadcaster, which holds Premier League rights across the Caribbean and South America.
Castelo-Branco has since apologised. He accepted that the chant could offend Spurs and their fans, admitted he hadn’t thought enough about how far the video would travel, and promised to be more careful about the persona he puts on for his podcast. The post was taken down once the Premier League told ESPN that Tottenham had seen it and were unhappy.
The matter hasn’t been fully closed. The Premier League has been acting as go-between for the club and the broadcaster, and the reporter has joined an online meeting to discuss it. Spurs have said they will consider his apology over the international break, and no formal ban has been imposed.
Until that’s settled, the story stays handy ammunition for rival fans. Leeds supporters, still enjoying their win over Tottenham, were quick to seize it, and the result is a rivalry that is starting to feel like more than just banter.
