Rodrigo Bentancur has been severely punished for his racist remarks against Son Heung-min (Tottenham).
The English Football Association (FA) announced on Monday (Aug. 18) that ‘Bentancur denied the allegations. The Independent Regulatory Commission found that there was evidence. The Independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and a £100,000 fine on Bentancur for breaching FA Rule E3 in relation to media interviews. As a result, Bentancur will miss the next six English Premier League (EPL) matches against Man City (A), Fulham (H), Bournemouth (A), Chelsea (H), Southampton (A), and Liverpool (H). He will also miss the Carabao Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United on December 20th. He won’t return until the EPL away game against Nottingham on December 27th.
It was all quite predictable. Earlier, the Daily Mail reported that “action is expected against Bentancur. A seven-match ban is likely,” while another news outlet, The Athletic, reported that ‘Tottenham are also expecting a lengthy ban for Bentancur,’ although they didn’t specify a time frame. The FA Disciplinary Committee has stated in its rules that individual racism can result in a ban of between six and 12 matches.
That was last June.
Bentancur, a Uruguayan, made comments about Son during an appearance on his country’s television program. He was asked by the host to “get Son’s jersey”. Bentancur replied, “I could bring him his cousin’s jersey and he wouldn’t recognize it. He looks exactly the same as Son Heung-min or his cousin,” he said. This was a racist remark that reflected the perception that all Asians look the same.
Bentancur apologized to Son via his personal social networking service (SNS). The situation was not easily resolved. 메이저사이트 It was the sincerity of the apology. Bentancur posted the apology on a page that only lasted 24 hours. “Sony brother! It was a really bad joke. I apologize. You know how much I love you. I never meant to disrespect or hurt you or anyone else. I said, “I love you. But the problem was compounded by writing Son Heung-min as Sony instead of his nickname Sonny. Bentancur didn’t care, though: his bungled apology was gone within 24 hours, and he’s been back to his social media activities freely ever since.
Tottenham and manager Enze Postecoglou were complacent. Postecoglou was quick to defend Bentancur, saying it was a “mistake” and to defuse the situation. “We know Bentancur very well. He made a big mistake this time. He should be punished. It should give others a chance to learn from it. Son Heung-min and Bentancur discussed it in their own way. I think they both understand and respect each other’s position. They have accepted the fact that someone close to them made a mistake. It’s a chance to atone and learn. We dream of a society that understands everything and is tolerant. This includes people who make mistakes. Just like Bentancur,” he said.
The outrage against Bentancur and Tottenham grew louder.
The international organization Kick it out said on Tuesday: “We have received a significant number of reports about Bentancur’s comments about Son Heung-min. These reports have already been forwarded to the club and the relevant authorities. We acknowledge that Bentancur has admitted wrongdoing. However, this is an issue that has a huge impact on the East Asian and wider community. We will continue to work to address these wider issues next season,” the club said in a statement. Kick It Out was founded in 1993 with the aim of eradicating discrimination in sport. The BBC was quick to report that “anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said it had received a significant number of complaints about Bentancur’s use of racist slurs against Son Heung-min. The FA charged Bentancur.
Eventually, Son took matters into his own hands, taking to social media to defuse the situation. After Son spoke out, Tottenham’s organization followed suit. After a period of silence, Tottenham took to social media to say, “We are working hard to resolve this issue. They will provide training on diversity, equality, and inclusion for all players. We fully support our captain Son Heung-min as he puts the controversy behind him and focuses on the upcoming new season. We are proud of our global fans and players. There should be no discrimination of any kind in our club and society.
The incident happened after the fact. Despite Son’s forgiveness, the FA came down hard on Bentancur. Tottenham’s complacency was punctuated by Bentancur’s disciplinary action.