Tottenham star hit with one of biggest bans in Premier League history
Rodrigo Bentancur has been handed one of the longest bans in Premier League history for making a racist remark about Tottenham Hotspur teammate Son Heung-min.
Uruguay international Bentancur has been ordered to sit out seven games and fined £100,000 after a Football Association disciplinary committee found him guilty at a hearing.
The remarks date back to June when Bentancur was asked by Canal 10 TV in his homeland to show a Spurs shirt and was asked if it was South Korea forwards Son’s.
He replied: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.”
The ban is the second longest to be issued in the Premier League for racist language, after former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez’s eight-match suspension in 2011.
Former England and Chelsea captain John Terry received a four-game ban in 2012 after he was found guilty of using racist language to QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.
Bentancur ban: Games he’ll miss for Tottenham
Bentancur apologised for his remarks about Son soon after they emerged but contested the charge that the alleged racist element constituted an aggravated breach of FA rules.
The former Juventus midfielder, 27, has made 15 appearances for Tottenham this season but will now miss all of their domestic games until Boxing Day.
He will sit out Premier League fixtures with Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool, as well as a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United, but will be available for Europa League dates with Roma and Rangers.
An FA spokesperson said: “An independent regulatory commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.
“It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.
“It was further alleged that this constitutes an ‘aggravated breach’, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.
“Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing.”