Spurs to appeal Bentancur’s 7-match ban for ‘racial slur’ against team-mate Son

Tottenham are set to appeal Rodrigo Bentancur's seven-match ban for an alleged racist comment about teammate Son Heung-min in a TV interview.

Spurs do not intend to challenge the conviction but hope his domestic ban is reduced.

Mail Sport's Sami Mokbel exclusively revealed earlier in November that the FA would hit the Uruguayan with a major ban following the incident. He was subsequently given a seven-match sanction and a £100,000 fine.

The FA has a minimum six-match ban for racial abuse bans, but gave Bentancur an extra match because they deemed his comments constituted an 'aggravated offence'.

Bentancur, 27, was charged by the FA on September 12 for alleged misconduct in connection with a media interview published in June which showed Bentancur being asked by the Canal 10 presenter to leave the shirt of a Spurs player to see.

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

Although Bentancur quickly apologized, saying this was an 'aggravated breach', an independent panel of regulatory commissions was needed to uphold the FA's charge or dismiss the case.

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.'

Former Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani was handed a three-match ban and £100,000 fine in 2020 after the Uruguayan 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.

While on international duty with his national team this week, Tottenham midfielder Bentancur 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.

Following the initial incident, Tottenham released their own statement on social media, informing that they were assisting the process in pursuit of a 'positive outcome'.

“Following a comment made by Rodrigo Bentancur in an interview video clip and the player's subsequent public apology, the Club has provided assistance to ensure a positive outcome in this matter,” the club wrote.

'This includes further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusivity 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 upcoming new season.

“We are extremely proud of our diverse, global fan base and player teams. Discrimination of any kind has no place at our club, within our game or within wider society.'