Tottenham star Serge Aurier has returned home to France to be by his mother’s side following the tragic death of his brother earlier this week.
Christopher Aurier, 26, was reportedly shot in the stomach outside Kin’s nightclub in Tolouse around 5am on Monday morning.
Aurier shared a heartfelt picture on Instagram on Friday of him embracing his mother, as the family continue to mourn Christopher’s death.
The Ivorian international revealed he learned of the news after being sent a tweet by a friend and had to break the news to his mother.
But despite the pain of the situation, Aurier insists he does not feel any ‘hatred’ towards the killer.
Speaking to French publication La Depeche, Aurier said: ‘It was 7am. I was in bed at home when a friend sent me the image of a tweet.
‘I asked if he was with his girlfriend. But he had come home and gone out. I had to quickly tell my mother and anticipate it. I stayed in bed all day without moving. It has been a difficult day.’
‘I met one of the friends who was with him. It’s a girl story. He was talking to an ex from a long time ago. Her new boyfriend wanted him to stop.
‘Christopher did not answer. He ignored him. The guy went to buy food. He came back and shot him.
‘His friend is a brave man. It’s hard to be with someone and see them dead the next second. I told him not to be angry. It was his day.’
Aurier, who was praised by Jose Mourinho after deciding to take to the pitch for Spurs’ clash with Newcastle on Wednesday – just 48 hours after having learned of his brother’s death – opened up about his own feelings towards the murder, too.
‘It is good news that he surrendered. It’s very clever on his part,’ he said of the suspects decision to hand himself in.
‘Today, we have to calm things down. I have no feeling of hatred or revenge. I work in a profession where you have to be calm. I’m calm.
‘I have faith in justice. I am saddened, I am in regret. I continue to mourn the death of my brother.’
Jose Mourinho is unsure whether Aurier will make a return for Spurs this season but insists he will welcome his return should he decide to do so.
When asked about a potential return, Mourinho said: ‘Let’s see, let’s wait. If he comes back tonight to train tomorrow morning he will be, I don’t know, he will be available. He did it in very difficult circumstances against Newcastle.
‘Now he goes to France, to see family, comes back. Let’s see. It’ll be always Serge’s decision, it’ll be him opening his heart and let us understand his conditions.’
