Rodrigo Bentancur receives ban for using racial slur about Tottenham teammate Son Heung-min; details of fine and punishment come to light

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been handed a seven-match ban and fined £100,000 by the Football Association (FA) for his offensive comment about teammate Son Heung-min. Bentancur was initially charged by the FA on September 12 for an alleged media breach in an interview on the Uruguayan TV channel Canal 10, which emerged in June.

The former Juventus man was asked by the host of the show to show the shirt of a Tottenham player, to which he replied (via The Guardian):

"Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

After being criticized for the remarks, Rodrigo Bentancur took to Instagram to apologize to Son, saying it was a "very bad joke" and that he would never disrespect or hurt him.

Following Bentancur’s apology, an independent regulatory commission panel was required to either uphold the FA charge or dismiss the case. However, the independent regulatory commission has found it to be proven and has sanctioned the Uruguay international following a hearing.

The FA statement read:

“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.”

Rodrigo Bentancur will sit out Tottenham’s next seven domestic fixtures. This means he will miss the Premier League matches against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, among others. He will not return to domestic action until December 26. However, he will still be available for Spurs’ Europa League matches.

How Rodrigo Bentancur had fared for Tottenham this season

Bentancur’s performance for Tottenham Hotspur this season, under the leadership of Ange Postecoglou, has been quite solid. The 27-year-old has played an important role at the base of Tottenham’s midfield.

He has played 872 minutes for Tottenham across competitions this season. He has made 10 appearances in the Premier League, including seven starts. The Uruguayan also played the entirety of two Carabao Cup matches for the north London club. In the Europa League, he has made three appearances, including one start.

In all, he has played 15 matches for Tottenham this season across competitions, scoring one goal and providing one assist.