Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been banned for seven matches by the Soccer Affiliation (FA) and handed a £100,000 positive over feedback he made about his team-mate Son Heung-min.
Bentancur stated that South Korea worldwide Son and his cousins “all look the identical” on tv programme Por La Camiseta, which is broadcast in his native Uruguay, in June. The 27-year-old later apologised on social media.
Bentancur was charged by the FA in September and was accused of appearing “in an improper method and/or used abusive and/or insulting phrases and/or introduced the sport into disrepute.” The FA added in an announcement that the cost additional constituted an “aggravated breach” below FA Rule E3.2, because it allegedly concerned references to nationality, race, or ethnic origin”.
The Athletic requested Son throughout a press convention later in September about his response to the cost and his relationship with Bentancur.
“The method is with the FA and that’s why I can’t say a lot about it, however I like Rodrigo,” Son stated. “I repeat: I like him, I like him.
“We had a number of good reminiscences, we began enjoying collectively when he joined. He apologised straight afterwards, you already know, once we had a vacation.
“I used to be at dwelling and I didn’t even realise what was happening. He simply despatched me a protracted textual content message that you could possibly really feel was coming from his coronary heart. Afterwards, when he got here again to the coaching floor for pre-season, he similar to felt actually sorry and virtually like cried when he apologised publicly and likewise personally as nicely. It felt like he feels actually sorry.”
Bentancur denied the FA cost however an unbiased regulatory fee discovered him responsible and determined the punishment following a listening to.
The Uruguay worldwide will miss Tottenham’s upcoming Premier League video games in opposition to Manchester Metropolis, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool and their Carabao Cup quarter-final tie with Manchester United in December. He’ll nonetheless be accessible to play for them within the Europa League.
GO DEEPER
Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-game ban defined: What the Spurs participant did and what he’ll miss
(Julian Finney/Getty Photographs)
