Rodrigo Bentancur, who faced criticism for making racially insensitive remarks about his teammate Son Heung-min (Tottenham), has been handed a seven-match suspension and fined £10,000 (approximately 18 million KRW). The English Football Association (FA) announced on the 18th (local time) that Bentancur violated FA regulations by behaving inappropriately or using abusive or insulting language, thus tarnishing the game’s reputation.
The FA stated that Bentancur denied the charges, but an independent regulatory commission determined his guilt after a hearing and imposed the sanctions.
Previously, Bentancur, who is from Uruguay, sparked controversy with comments made on a local TV program in June regarding Son. When asked by the host to obtain Son’s jersey, Bentancur replied, “He wouldn’t know if I brought him a jersey from Son’s cousin. Son and his cousin look the same,” revealing a racist perception that all Asians look alike.
Following the backlash, Bentancur apologized to Son through a post on social media, and Son accepted the apology in his own social media post.
However, as the anti-racism organization “Kick It Out” reported multiple instances related to the incident to Tottenham and the authorities, the controversy grew, prompting the FA to initiate disciplinary proceedings in September.
Meanwhile, Tottenham, which is currently in 10th place with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 5 losses in the 2024-2025 English Premier League (EPL) season, faces increased pressure due to the suspension of key midfielder Bentancur as they urgently need to improve their standings.