Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur could now miss several games with an FA ban for his comments regarding Son Heung-min.
The Uruguayan international midfielder made racist remarks towards his Spurs teammate during an interview. When the journalist asked for a Son shirt, the Spurs midfielder responded that he could get a shirt from the South Korean international or any of his cousins because they all look alike.
A statement from the FA on Thursday read: “Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged with an alleged breach of FA Rule E3 for misconduct in relation to a media interview. It’s alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has 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’s 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 has until Thursday 19 September 2024 to provide a response to this charge.”
The FA are now planning to impose a hefty ban on the player for his remarks and he could miss six-12 matches in total, as per Football London.
While the midfielder will continue to play for now, he will need to decide whether to accept the charge or contest it. The FA will then decide whether to impose the sanctions or uphold/dismiss the charges following a hearing.
It remains to be seen how the situation unfolds.
Bentancur has been an important player for Tottenham since joining the club and his ban would be a major blow for the club. If he is banned for 12 games, he could be out of action until November. With an extensive list of games coming their way, Spurs cannot afford to lose a key player.
They are already lacking in depth in the middle of the park and they will hope that the matter can be resolved without too much damage.
