Rodrigo Bentancur: Tottenham midfielder handed seven-game ban for Heung-Min Son racial slur

2 days ago

Caution: Parts of this article may be disturbing to some readers. Spurs midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur received a seven-match suspension for using a racial slur directed at his teammate Heung-Min Son, as well as towards East and Southeast Asians, during a television appearance in Uruguay.

Monday, November 18, 2024, at 3:51 PM, UK time.

Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur has received a seven-match suspension from domestic competitions imposed by the Football Association due to a racist comment he made regarding his teammate Heung-Min Son during a television interview.

On September 12, the FA issued a charge against Bentancur for supposed misconduct connected to a media interview. This interview, which took place back in June, featured the Canal 10 host requesting Bentancur to display a shirt from a Spurs player.

Former Juventus player Bentancur commented, "It might be Sonny's cousin because they all kind of look alike."

Although Bentancur quickly issued an apology, the situation was considered an "aggravated breach." As a result, an independent regulatory commission panel needed to either confirm the FA's charge or throw out the case.

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The independent regulatory commission has confirmed the decision, meaning Bentancur will miss Tottenham's next seven domestic games. However, he is still allowed to play in the upcoming Europa League matches against Roma and Rangers.

A representative from the FA stated, "A separate regulatory body has handed Rodrigo Bentancur a seven-match ban along with a £100,000 penalty for violating FA Rule E3 during a media interview."

It was claimed that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder violated FA Rule E3.1 by behaving inappropriately, using offensive or insulting language, and/or damaging the reputation of the game.

It was also claimed that this represents a "serious violation," as outlined in FA Rule E3.2, because it made a reference—either directly or indirectly—to someone's nationality, race, or ethnic background.

Rodrigo Bentancur disputed the allegation, but the independent Regulatory Commission concluded that the evidence supported the claim and decided to impose penalties after holding a hearing.

Son mentioned that he and Bentancur are still like "brothers" and that "nothing has changed" between them. This was after the Uruguayan quickly apologized, acknowledging that he had "made a mistake."

Tottenham will head to Manchester City on Saturday, November 23, with the match being broadcast live on Sky Sports.

Kick It Out's Statement On Bentancur

A representative from Kick It Out, a group focused on addressing discrimination in sports, shared their thoughts regarding the decision to impose a ban and fine on Bentancur.

In a conversation with Sky Sports News, they expressed their approval of today's choice to hold Rodrigo Bentancur responsible for his use of a racial slur.

Many reports were filed with Kick It Out about the incident, emphasizing that abuse aimed at players from East and Southeast Asian backgrounds doesn’t just harm those directly involved; it also impacts fans and the broader community.