Ex-Spurs defender Trippier charged by FA over betting breach

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Kieran Trippier faces an FA misconduct charge after a breach of gambling rules, English soccer's governing body said on Friday.

An FA statement said Trippier had been charged in relation to breaches of Rule E8(1)(a)(ii) and Rule E8(1)(b).

It did not clarify what the breach entailed but that it had occurred in July 2019, around the time Trippier joined Atletico Madrid for a reported 20 million pounds ($25 million).

Tripper, who played for Tottenham in last season's Champions League final in Madrid, has until May 18 to provide a response.

Rule E8(1)(b) states that a participant must not provide to any person, any information relating to football which the participant has obtained by virtue of his or her position within the game and which is not publicly available at that time.

Trippier issued a statement on Twitter saying he had "fully complied" with the FA's investigation on a voluntary basis and that he would continue to do so.

"I want to make it clear that while a professional footballer, I have at no stage placed any football related bets or received any financial benefit from others betting."

If found guilty Trippier could face a lengthy ban.

Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is the most recent high-profile player to be punished for a breach of the FA's gambling rules.

He was initially handed a six-week ban, four of them suspended, and fined 75,000 pounds after being found guilty of providing his brother with information on a potential move from Liverpool to Sevilla in 2018.

After the FA appealed against the decision on the grounds that it was too lenient, an independent appeal board increased the ban to four months and doubled the fine.

Sturridge's three-year contract with Turkish club Trabzonspor was subsequently mutually terminated in March.