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Rodrigo Bentancur: Tottenham appeal against length of midfielder’s ban for Heung-Min Son remark

Admin 14 hours ago

4 1 minute read

Tottenham have appealed Rodrigo Bentancur's seven-match ban for a racist comment about teammate Heung-Min Son in a TV interview.

The 27-year-old was also fined £100,000 by the Football Association as part of the punishment.

Spurs said in a statement that they “accept the guilty plea” against Bentancur but “believe the subsequent sanction will be severe”.

His domestic ban will remain in force while the appeal is heard, Spurs added.

Bentancur was sanctioned for comments he made in an interview broadcast on Uruguayan television in June.

Asked to show the shirt of a Spurs player, the former Juventus midfielder replied: “Sonny's? It could also be Sonny's cousin because they all look the same.”

Although an apology from Bentancur was swift, an independent panel of the Regulatory Commission had to uphold the FA's charge or dismiss the case because this was an “aggravated breach”.

Son said he and Bentancur remained “brothers” and that “nothing had changed” after the Uruguayan immediately apologized to him and admitted he “made a mistake”.

Tottenham travel to Manchester City live on Sky Sports on Saturday, November 23.

What Kick It Out said about Bentancur's ban

A spokesperson for Kick It Out, an anti-discrimination body in the football world, welcomed Bentancur's punishment.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, they said: “We welcome today's decision to hold Rodrigo Bentancur accountable for the use of racist slurs.

“A significant number of reports were submitted to Kick It Out at the time about the incident, highlighting how abuse directed at players from East and South East Asian backgrounds impacts not only the individuals involved, but also fans more broadly community.”