MusaTottenham Hotspur have officially lodged a complaint with the Premier League over the conduct of ESPN Brasil journalist Joao Castelo-Branco following the emergence of footage showing him participating in anti-Spurs chants alongside Arsenal supporters in Brazil.
Castelo-Branco, who works as ESPN’s English football correspondent, was filmed joining Arsenal fans in singing derogatory songs about Tottenham during an event in Sao Paulo. The footage was subsequently shared on his personal Instagram account, as well as an Instagram page associated with an ESPN podcast.
The incident has angered Tottenham, who have now taken formal action by submitting an official complaint to the Premier League over the journalist’s behaviour.
According to reports, Spurs have requested that the Premier League restrict Castelo-Branco from covering the club in the future. The proposed restrictions would prevent him from attending Tottenham matches, participating in press conferences and conducting interviews involving the club.
However, the request is specifically directed at Castelo-Branco and would not affect other ESPN journalists or the broadcaster itself. ESPN holds Premier League broadcasting rights across the Caribbean and South America, meaning the complaint is not intended to interfere with the company’s wider media operations.
Following the controversy, Castelo-Branco has publicly apologised for his involvement in the chants, admitting that his actions were inappropriate given his professional responsibilities as a football correspondent based in the United Kingdom.
Speaking to The Times, the journalist confirmed that the controversial videos had been removed from both his personal social media account and the ESPN podcast page.
He also acknowledged that his behaviour could understandably offend Tottenham supporters and admitted that he should have considered the potential consequences before participating in the chants.
“I wanted to apologise to the club for the video I recorded with Arsenal fans in Brazil singing a derogatory chant about Tottenham Hotspur,” Castelo-Branco said.
“Given my role as a correspondent in the UK, I feel I made a mistake.
“The video was posted on the podcast Instagram page and reproduced on my personal page. I understand it can be offensive to Spurs and Spurs fans and I should have thought more about singing that and the reach it could have.
“ESPN was notified by the Premier League about Tottenham seeing and disliking the post, and we agreed to delete it. Hopefully we can move on, and I will rethink and be more careful with the boundaries of having that persona on the podcast.”
Despite the apology and removal of the footage, Tottenham have made their position clear by escalating the matter to the Premier League. The club’s request to prevent the journalist from covering them could now create further discussions surrounding media conduct, professionalism and the responsibilities of reporters covering English football.
The controversy has also raised questions about the boundaries journalists should maintain when expressing personal football loyalties, particularly when their professional responsibilities require them to report on clubs and supporters they may have publicly criticised.
For Tottenham, the issue appears to go beyond the rivalry between the north London clubs, with the club seemingly concerned about the conduct of a journalist who is expected to maintain professional standards while covering the Premier League.
Musa
