Uruguayan midfielder discovered responsible of ‘aggravated breach’ in feedback about his South Korean membership captain Son Heung-min.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur has been banned for seven matches after the Uruguayan made a racist comment about South Korean folks when speaking about teammate Son Heung-min throughout a tv look, the English Soccer Affiliation (FA) has stated.
In a press release on Monday, the FA stated the midfielder “acted in an improper method and/or used abusive and/or insulting phrases and/or introduced the sport into disrepute”.
“It was additional alleged that this constitutes an ‘aggravated breach’… because it included a reference – whether or not specific or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin,” the assertion added.
In June, on Uruguayan tv programme Por La Camiseta, host Rafa Cotelo requested Bentancur for a Spurs participant’s shirt, to which he replied, “Sonny’s?”, including: “It might be Sonny’s cousin too as all of them look the identical.”
Bentancur apologized afterward Instagram, saying it was a “very dangerous joke” and he would “by no means disrespect you or harm you”.
Son accepted the justifications, saying his teammate had made a mistake and “wouldn’t imply to ever deliberately say one thing offensive”.
“We’re brothers and nothing has modified in any respect,” Son stated in June. “We’re previous this, we’re united, and we will likely be again collectively in preseason to battle for our membership as one.”
An unbiased fee additionally imposed a nice of 100,000 kilos ($126,000) on the participant. The sanction might be appealed.
The suspension solely covers home matches, which means the 27-year-old Bentancur will likely be accessible to play for his London membership within the Europa League. Spurs tackle Roma within the league part of the event on November 28.
The FA additionally ordered Bentancur to attend a “face-to-face schooling program”, particulars of which will likely be offered later. The course must be accomplished by March 11 subsequent yr.
“If the participant fails to finish this system satisfactorily in that interval, he will likely be instantly suspended from all home membership soccer till such time because the necessary program is accomplished,” the FA stated.
Tottenham and Bentancur didn’t instantly react to the punishment.