Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been handed a seven-match ban for allegedly making a racist remark about his South Korean teammate Son Heung-min during a TV interview.
According to Sky News, the Football Association charged the 27-year-old on September 12 after an interview on the Uruguayan TV channel Canal 10 in June.
The interview showed the reporter asking Bentancur to show Son’s Spurs jersey.
“Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same,” Bentancur replied.
Despite immediately offering his apology to Son, the incident didn’t go unnoticed.
Though he might have considered it a joke, the FA did not view it the same way.
Instead, they deemed the comment inappropriate and discriminatory, leading to a formal investigation.
Following a thorough review, Bentancur was found in breach of FA Rule E3, which covers misconduct involving discriminatory language.
As a result, Bentancur will watch football on TV in the next two months.
He’ll miss Spurs’ next seven domestic outings, including Saturday’s blockbuster Premier League encounter against perennial champions Manchester City.
Manager Ange Postecoglou will be without the former Juventus ace in December’s home fixtures against Chelsea and Liverpool.
On top of a significant seven-game ban, Bentancur was fined £100,0000.
The seven-match suspension serves as a strong message from the FA, emphasising their zero-tolerance policy towards any form of racism or discrimination.
However, he will be eligible to feature in upcoming UEFA Europa League games against Roma and Rangers.
Bentancur has been in and out of Postecoglou’s starting line-up this season.
He has amassed 15 appearances in all competitions, registering one goal and one assist.
But it’s worth noting he only registered seven starts in the Premier League, often playing second fiddle to Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sar.
Still, his suspension will deplete Tottenham’s midfield options ahead of a potentially crucial set of fixtures.