Tottenham Hotspur has confirmed plans to appeal the seven-match suspension handed to midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur following his racist remark about teammate and club captain Son Heung-min.
The Football Association (FA) imposed the ban, along with a £100,000 fine, after determining that Bentancur violated FA Rule E3 by making an offensive comment during an interview in June, where he reportedly suggested that all South Koreans “look the same.”
Although Bentancur denied the charge, the FA released a statement on Monday clarifying its decision:
“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,’ as defined in FA Rule E3.2, since 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.”
Tottenham’s Stance on the Suspension
While the club has accepted Bentancur’s guilty verdict, Tottenham is challenging the severity of the punishment, aiming to reduce the length of the ban.
The FA’s current minimum suspension for racist behavior is six matches, a rule introduced in 2019. However, Bentancur received an additional match due to the aggravated nature of the offense.
Read Also: Transfer Gossip Today: Galatasaray Eye Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, Whose Contract Expires Next Summer
In an official statement, Tottenham said:
“We can confirm that the Club has appealed against the length of Rodrigo Bentancur’s FA suspension, issued earlier this week.
While we accept the guilty finding against Rodrigo by the independent Regulatory Commission, we believe the subsequent sanction is severe.
Rodrigo will remain suspended from domestic competitions while the appeal is heard, and the club will make no further comment during this time.”
Bentancur and Son Respond to the Incident
Following the incident, Bentancur issued a public apology on social media, addressing Son directly:
“Sonny brother! I apologise to you for what happened; it was just a very bad joke. You know I love you and would never disrespect or hurt you or anyone else! I love you, brother!”
Son responded graciously, stating:
“He made a mistake, he knows this, and he has apologised. Lolo would not intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers, and nothing has changed at all.”
The appeal process remains ongoing, and Bentancur is barred from participating in domestic competitions until a final decision is reached.
Tottenham’s effort to seek a reduced suspension reflects the club’s belief that the punishment exceeds the offense, even as they acknowledge the seriousness of the situation.
