Premier League to investigate Tottenham for ignoring heading guidelines
By Max Cooper
The Premier League will demand answers from Tottenham Hotspur after coach Nuno Espirito Santo admitted that they are ignoring the guidelines put in place over heading the ball in training.
Recommendations made at the start of the season suggested that players should perform no more than ten high-force headers per week, as the authorities aim to reduce the risk of future cases of dementia among sportsmen.
However, the Daily Mail reports that the Premier League is set to investigate Spurs and their training habits after Nuno openly confessed that they are not counting how many times players are heading the ball.
"That's why we have training sessions without anybody seeing us," Santo began, when asked how his side can improve on their defending from set pieces.
"I'm concerned with the situation of dementia and what heading the ball can cause. It's a big concern for us but it's part of the game. Honestly I will not lie to you. I don't count how many times our players head the ball. Maybe I will get myself in trouble for this. But football is jumping, heading, it's part of the game."
These comments will concern the Premier League, who are attempting to lessen the risk of dementia diagnoses in the future by reducing the number of times players head the ball throughout the week.
Officials confirmed in a statement that they maintain these guidelines to be 'an important component' in player welfare, and will speak to clubs like Spurs who refuse to follow them, in order to 'understand their challenges in implementing it'.
"Player welfare is paramount and the guidance is an important component," the statement began. "We continue to liaise with clubs and football partners on the guidance and will speak directly with the club to understand their challenges in implementing it."