Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur hit with seven-game ban and fined for racist remark
Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been hit with a seven-game ban and fined £100,000 by the Football Association (FA) for his racist remark against Spurs captain Heung-min Son.
Bentancur suggested South Koreans “all look the same” during an appearance on Uruguayan TV in June.
He issued an apology for his comment and Spurs and Son also released statements of their own, with Son insisting he and Bentancur remain “brothers”.
But the FA have now hit Bentancur with a long suspension that means he will not be able to play again in the Premier League until Boxing Day.
The 27-year-old will miss games against Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool. He will also be banned for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United on December 19.
Bentancur will still be able to play in the Europa League, with Spurs facing Roma at home and Rangers away before Christmas. He will be available again for Spurs domestically for their game at Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.
A statement from the FA on Monday said: “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.
“It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute. It was further alleged that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.
“Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing.”
In June, Bentancur posted on social media that he had not intended to insult Son.
“Sonny, brother! I apologise to you for what happened, it was just a very bad joke,” he said. “You know that I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you, brother!”
