It’s literally a super emergency. The Tottenham midfielder has been suspended for racial slurs directed at captain Son Heung-min.
“Rodrigo Bentancur has been suspended for seven matches and fined £100,000 by the Independent Regulatory Commission for breaching FA Rule E3 (anti-racism rule) in relation to a media interview,” the English Football Association (FA) announced today.
“Bentancur was served with a charge on September 12th, he denied the allegations and refused to attend a Council meeting, so the charge was discussed in writing only, and the Independent Regulatory Committee considered the charge to be proven and imposed the sanction following a hearing,” the FA said in its official statement.
Bentancur appeared on Uruguayan TV program “Por la Camiseta” in June and was asked by the host to wear a South Korean jersey. He wanted Tottenham captain Son Heung-min’s jersey. “Sonny?” he asked back.
“It could be Son’s cousin’s jersey. They all look the same,” Bentancur laughed. The hosts chimed in and laughed along with him. It’s a clear racist comment, implying that all Asians look alike.
The controversy spiraled out of control.
Bentancur posted an apology on social media, writing, “Sonny my brother! I apologize for what happened. It was a really bad joke. I love you so much and I want you to know that I would never disrespect or hurt you or anyone else! I love you brother,” he wrote, bowing his head.
Tottenham and Bentancur’s social media accounts were turned into a comment war between the South Korean and Uruguayan, prompting the club to issue an official statement last month. On June 20, after the incident, Son Heung-min said, “I spoke with Bentancur, and he admitted that he made a mistake and apologized. He didn’t intentionally say something insulting,” Son defended his teammate.
“The FA strictly prohibits discrimination based on race, national origin, gender, etc. and Bentancur could be banned for up to 12 matches because he breached Article 3.1 of the FA’s regulations, which states that he caused social disturbance by his inappropriate behavior,” the BBC reported on March 13.
“I can’t talk about it in detail because it’s under investigation, but I love Bentancur,” Son said at the press conference, adding, ‘Again, I love him,’ according to The Athletic.
“We had a lot of good memories, 파워볼사이트 and he apologized to me right away. It was during our vacation. I was at home and didn’t even know what happened. He sent me a long message and I could feel his sincerity. When he came back to the training ground in preseason, he was sorry and almost cried during his public apology,” he explained.
“We are all human, we make mistakes and we learn from them. “
“We are all human, we make mistakes and we learn from them. Bentancur made a mistake, but I don’t have a problem with it. Not at all. We just move forward together as teammates, as friends,” he said, adding, ”We have to wait for the FA process. There’s not much I can say. There’s nothing more to say,” he added.
But unlike the Spurs organization, which turned a blind eye to the comments, the FA is preparing for a serious punishment. “Bentancur is likely to face a lengthy ban,” explained Pete Brook.
“Bentancur’s behavior was inappropriate and he used language that was insulting and degrading to others. This, coupled with the references to nationality and race in particular, is likely to result in a severe punishment. It is likely that he will be out for an extended period of time,” he said, predicting the level of punishment.
Tottenham’s upcoming league games are against Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton, and Liverpool. There’s also a Carabao Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United. “Although he has formally apologized, the lengthy suspension will be a major setback for the team,” said Pete Brook.
Meanwhile, the FA sent a formal complaint to Bentancur on September 12th. Bentancur denied the allegations and requested that the matter be dealt with through written submissions only. The Independent Regulatory Commission eventually skipped an oral hearing and met formally on September 12 to consider the charges and the documents he submitted.
Earlier,
Bentancur had said that the Uruguayan national team “informed me through the agency. I can’t say exactly, but it will probably be announced when I return to the club,” he said, adding, ”I think I’ll probably be out for a long time, but we’ll see.”
The FA handed down a seven-match ban and a £100,000 fine, stating that “Bentancur’s comments were objectively offensive, which is beyond dispute. In the context of the conversation alone, it begins with Cotello referring to ‘Koreans’, which is an unfortunate and inappropriate way to refer to Son Heung-min. Nevertheless, the athlete responded with offensive words and laughter,” the organization explained.
“It does not appear that the player is racist. Nevertheless, Bentancur’s immature behavior in the conversation breached both E3.1 and E3.2 of the FA’s prohibition against racial discrimination. As a result, we have imposed an aggravated punishment of a seven-match suspension.”