Video emerged of the Manchester City star forward Saturday night. Directly before the filmed incident, Foden and his family were allegedly harassed by a group of men. The video captures Foden and a woman believed to have been his girlfriend entering a private box to elude the harassment.
Seconds later, a woman believed to be Foden’s mother, Claire Foden, exited the private box to confront the harassers. Claire yelled at the group of men to, “f*** off,” and an indistinct response was heard from the group.
The response was enough to spark Claire to push one of the men, which sparked a brawl. The video captured a man striking her in the face. A few moments later, as the fight continued, Phil Foden rushed to the aid of his mother.
The incident has sparked an inquiry by the Greater Manchester Police.
“GMP are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a disturbance at the AO arena last night (19 February 2022). We are conducting some further enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident” a Greater Manchester Police statement read.
Manchester City also made a statement over the incident.
“The club is aware of a video which has circulated on social media showing Phil Foden and his family being harassed and abused. We are shocked and appalled [by] the nature of the abuse and ensuing assault on one of Phil’s family members. We will continue to give Phil and his family all the support and assistance they need.”
It is unclear what sparked the harassment. Earlier in the day, City lost a thrilling match to Tottenham 3-2.
Foden, 21, has had a meteoric rise at Manchester City. He made his first-team debut as a substitute against Dutch side Feyenoord at 17, scored his first goal for the club at 18, and won the PFA Young Player of the Year award following the 2020-21 season.