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Spurs appeal Bentancur ban: Postecoglou backs midfielder

Admin 4 hours ago

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has called “outstanding person” Rodrigo Bentancur an “incredible teammate” and backed Spurs' decision to appeal the length of his seven-match ban for a racist comment about captain Heung-Min Son.

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

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”.

Asked how big the blow would be if Bentancur were absent, Postecoglou said during an exclusive interview with Sky Sports: “It's disappointing because he's been great for us this year.

“He is one of those whose football has gone a level higher. But we understood that this was coming and everyone accepted that, whatever the punishments were… I fully support the club's decision to appeal go against the seriousness of the ban.” , but ultimately we know it will be for X number of games.

“We will work with Rodrigo to ensure he receives all our support in the right way in that time so that he is ready to go when he is available again.

“I haven't spoken to him since it came out. He's been away with Uruguay and he's not quite back yet. I've spoken to him in the run-up to it. As I said at the time, he understands that he's done that.” He made a mistake, he is prepared to accept whatever punishment awaits him and we as a club are going to support him.

“The one thing that is undeniable to me, because I know him, is that he is an outstanding person. He is an incredible teammate. He is a person of the greatest character who made a mistake. I think when that happens, it Our role is to support him in any way we can.”

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”.