Tottenham player Serge Aurier’s brother shot dead in Toulouse

Spurs confirm the Ivory Coast defender’s brother, Christopher, passed away in the early hours of Monday morning

Christopher Aurier (left), brother of Tottenham's Serge Aurier, was shot dead in France on Monday morning (AFP via Getty)

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that the brother of defender Serge Aurier died in France in the early hours of Monday morning.

Christopher Aurier, 26, is understood to have been shot outside a nightclub in Toulouse, at around 5am, having been found by passers by.

French reports say that he was shot in the abdomen on Boulevard de Thibaud, a street in the industrial zone located in the south-west region of the city, with witnesses saying that they heard two shots fired before the attacker fled the scene.

A Tottenham statement issued on Monday morning read: “The club is deeply saddened to confirm media reports that Serge Aurier’s brother passed away in the early hours of this morning.

“Everybody at the club sends their sincerest condolences to Serge and his family. Our thoughts are with them all.”

French media outlet Europe1 initially reported the news and said that police were called by members of the public who found Christopher motionless outside the nightclub. He was taken to Rangueil Hospital but was pronounced dead soon after.

A police investigation has been launched, with the same reports claiming that the suspect has not been detained.

Aurier (right) played for Lens in France during his professional career (Getty)

Like his elder brother, he joined the Lens academy where he got his first taste of professional football, but failed to come through the ranks and left the club in 2011.

He was still playing amateur football in France, having played for Rodeo Toulouse, Gueugnon and most-recently Chantilly last season, and had also represented Belgian club Rebecq.