Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been hit with a seven-game ban and £100,000 fine for comments he made about team-mate Son Heung-min.
The Uruguayan has been found guilty by the Football Association of an aggravated breach of FA Rule E3.2, using abusive and/or insulting words with a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.
Bentancur appeared on the television show Pro La Camiseta in his homeland in June. Host Rafa Cotelo asked for a Spurs player’s shirt to which Bentancur replied by saying: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.”
An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.
Full statement: https://t.co/dr5Jw7Fwhq pic.twitter.com/yhJ2mhOPtC
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) November 18, 2024
The 27-year-old will miss the league clashes with Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool and the EFL Cup game with Manchester United, although he will be available for the club’s games in the Europa League.
His next league appearance is likely to come against Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.
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Incident played down by Spurs and Son
Both Tottenham and Son played down the incident at the time, but the FA still took severe action.
Son wrote on Instagram: “He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologised. Lolo would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all.
“We’re past this, we’re united, and we will be back together in pre-season to fight for our club as one.”
Spurs also released a statement in which they said they supported the fact “our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident.”
A blow for Ange
The suspension is a fresh blow to Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs have won just five of their opening 11 Premier League games and were beaten at home by struggling Ipswich prior to the international break.
