Tottenham are poised to appeal Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-match ban for an alleged racist remark made about team-mate Son Heung-min in a TV interview.
Spurs do not indent to contest the guilty verdict but are hoping to get his domestic ban reduced.
Mail Sport’s Sami Mokbel exclusively revealed earlier in November that the FA were set to hit the Uruguayan with a huge ban following the incident. He was subsequently given his seven-game sanction and fined £100,000.
The FA have a minimum timespan of six games for bans pertaining to racial abuse but gave Bentancur an extra game as they felt his comments constituted an ‘aggravated breach’.
Bentancur, 27, was charged by the FA on September 12 with an alleged misconduct breach in relation to a media interview, which emerged in June and showed Bentancur being asked by the host of Canal 10 to show the shirt of a Spurs player.
Former Juventus player Bentancur replied: ‘Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.’
Rodrigo Bentancur made the comment in an interview on a Uruguayan TV show in June 2024
Tottenham’s captain, the subject of the racist remark, pictured above with his parents
While Bentancur swiftly apologised, due to this being an ‘aggravated breach’, an independent regulatory commission panel was required to either uphold the FA charge or dismiss the case.
The independent regulatory commission panel upheld the charge and Bentancur is set to sit out Tottenham’s next seven domestic fixtures, but will be able to feature for the club in upcoming Europa League matches with Roma and Rangers.
An FA spokesperson 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.’
Former Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani was hit with a three-match ban and £100,000 fine back in 2020 after the Uruguay legend used the word ‘negrito’ in a social media post.
Cavani sent the message to a friend after his match-winning performance against Southampton in November 2020, but the FA decided it was discriminatory in nature and charged him with misconduct.
The Tottenham captain has been targeted by racial abuse numerous times while playing
The news comes as a blow to Ange Postecoglou, who has relied on Bentancur this season
Mail Sport exclusively revealed earlier this month that Bentancur was set to receive a hefty ban
While on international duty with his national side this week, Tottenham midfielder Bentancur revealed that he had been informed by his agent that the punishment will be harsh.
‘My agent rang me and told me he had been notified that this was the sanction,’ the 27-year-old said. ‘So far, the club haven’t contacted me. I already knew more or less where it was going.
‘Now the sanction is out, I want to be calm here with the national team. Then we’ll see when it’s time to go back.’
Bentancur has played an important role for Ange Postecoglou this campaign, featuring in 10 of Tottenham’s 11 Premier League games so far, starting seven.
The only league match the Uruguayan has missed this season was Spurs’ home clash with Everton on the second weekend, when Postecoglou’s side triumphed 4-0.
Breaking his silence on the incident earlier this summer, the former Juventus star took to social media to deliver a grovelling apology to Son, insisting to the Spurs captain it was a ‘very bad joke’.
He said: ‘Sonny brother! I apologise to you for what happened, it was just a very bad joke!
‘You know that I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you brother!’
Bentancur was in action with Uruguay over the international break as his side beat Colombia
The South Korean revealed that team-mate Bentancur was close to tears when he apologised
Son in fact revealed that team-mate Bentancur was close to tears when he apologised over the alleged racial slur.
‘At the moment because of the FA process I can’t say much about it,’ said Son in September. ‘But I love Rodrigo, I love him. We’ve a lot of good memories since we started playing together when he joined.
‘He knew and he apologised straight afterwards. We were on holiday. I was at home. I didn’t even realise what was going on when he sent me a long message and you could feel it was coming from his heart.
‘When we came back for pre-season he felt really sorry, and almost cried when he apologised publicly and personally as well. He felt like he was really sorry. We are all human and all make mistakes and we learn from it.’
‘I love Rodrigo. I love him, I love him,’ the South Korean said when he first broke his silence on the incident in June.
‘He knows he made a mistake but I’ve no problem at all with him. We move on as a team-mate and friend and as a brother. We move on together.
‘We have to wait for what the FA says in their process. I can’t say much but what I can say is I love Rodrigo, there’s nothing more to say.’
Bentancur’s comment came less than a year after a fan was handed a three-year football ban for racially abusing Son.
Bentancur (right) issued a heartfelt apology to his team-mate, claiming it was just a ‘bad joke’
Tottenham broke their silence on the incident in June, with Son insisting he ‘loves Rodrigo’
Robert Garland made the racial gesture at the forward after he was substituted in the 89th minute against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on May 6 2023.
The 44-year-old fan pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment at Highbury Magistrates Court on August 25 and was convicted later that year.
The incident in May 2023 marked the third time Son had been targeted by racial abuse during while representing Tottenham last season.
After the initial incident, Tottenham released a statement of their own on social media, informing that they were aiding the process in pursuit of a ‘positive outcome’.
‘Following a comment from Rodrigo Bentancur in an interview video clip and the player’s subsequent public apology, the Club has been providing assistance in ensuring a positive outcome on the matter,’ the club wrote.
‘This will include further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion objectives.
‘We fully support that our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident and that the team can focus on the new season ahead.
‘We are extremely proud of our diverse, global fanbase and playing squads. Discrimination of any kind has no place at our Club, within our game or within wider society.’
