Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur banned for SEVEN GAMES for ‘racial slur’

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been given a seven-match restraining order by the Football Association over an alleged racist comment about teammate Son Heung-min in a TV interview.

Bentancur was charged by the FA on September 12 for alleged misconduct in relation to a media interview published in June which showed Bentancur being asked by the Canal 10 presenter to show a Spurs player's shirt.

Mail Sport had exclusively revealed earlier in November that the FA would hit the Uruguayan with a long-term ban following the incident.

Former Juventus player Bentancur replied: 'Sonny's? It could also be Sonny's cousin because they all look the same.'

Although an apology from Bentancur quickly followed, an independent panel of regulatory commissions had to uphold the FA's charges or dismiss the case as an 'aggravated breach'.

The regulatory commission's independent panel upheld the charges and Bentancur will sit out Tottenham's next seven domestic matches but will be able to feature for the club in the club's upcoming Europa League matches with Roma and Rangers.

An FA spokesperson said: 'An independent regulatory commission has handed Rodrigo Bentancur a seven-match ban and a £100,000 fine for breaching FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.

'It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA rule E3.1 by behaving in an inappropriate manner and/or using abusive and/or insulting words and/or bringing the match into disrepute.

'It was further claimed that this constitutes an 'aggravated breach' as ​​defined in FA Rule E3.2, because it contained a reference – express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

'Rodrigo Bentancur denied this allegation, but the independent regulatory commission ruled it proven and imposed its sanctions after a hearing.'

While on international duty with his national team this week, the Tottenham midfielder revealed he had been informed by his agent that the punishment will be severe.

“My agent called me and told me he had been informed that this was the sanction.” The 27-year-old said. 'So far the club has not contacted me. I already more or less knew where it was going.

'Now that the sanction has been imposed, I want to remain calm here with the national team. Then we'll see when it's time to go back.'

Bentancur has played a key role for Ange Postecoglou this season, appearing in ten of Tottenham's eleven Premier League games so far, starting seven of them.

The only league match the Uruguayan has missed this season was Spurs' home game against Everton in the second weekend, when Postecoglou's side triumphed 4-0.

The former Juventus star broke his silence on the incident earlier this summer and issued a groveling apology to Son on social media, insisting the Spurs captain said it was a 'very bad joke'.

He said, 'Sonny brother! I apologize for what happened, it was just a really bad joke!

“You know I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you brother!'

Son even revealed that teammate Bentancur was close to tears as he apologized for the alleged racist comments.

“At the moment I can't say much about it because of the FA process,” Son said in September. 'But I love Rodrigo, I love him. We have a lot of good memories since we started playing together when he joined.

'He knew it and apologized immediately afterwards. We were on holiday. I was home. I didn't even realize what was going on when he sent me a long message and you could feel it coming from his heart.

'When we came back for pre-season he felt really sorry and almost cried as he apologized both publicly and personally. He felt like he was really sorry. We are all human and we all make mistakes and we learn from them.'

'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 have no problem with him at all. We continue as teammate and friend and as brother. We move forward together.

'We have to wait to see what the FA say 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 given a three-year football ban for racially abusing Son.

Robert Garland made the racist gesture towards the striker 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 racial harassment at Highbury Magistrates Court on August 25 and was sentenced later that year.

The incident in May 2023 was the third time Son had been the target of racist abuse while representing Tottenham last season.