Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged by the Football Association (FA) with misconduct on Thursday for making a racially offensive comment about his teammate Son Heung-Min during a television interview.
In an interview on the Uruguayan television program ‘Por La Camiseta’ in June, Bentancur was asked by host Rafa Cotelo for a Tottenham player’s shirt. In response, Bentancur said (in Spanish, as per BBC):
“Sonny’s? [Son Heung-Min] It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.”
As a result of the comment, Bentancur has been charged by the FA for breaching “rule E3 for misconduct in relation to a media interview”.
“It’s alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder [Bentancur] acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought into disrepute,” a statement from the FA read.
Rodrigo Bentancur has since apologised via social media for his racial comments, which he termed “a very bad joke”.
What punishment can Rodrigo Bentancur get for racist Son Heung-Min comments?
At this moment, the FA has only charged Rodrigo Bentancur with misconduct, and the Uruguayan midfielder has until September 19 to respond to the allegations.
However, Bentancur is likely to face a ban as a result of the comments, as the FA has termed his comments an ‘aggravated breach’ of the misconduct rule “as it included a reference, whether express or implied, to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.”
The FA recommends a ban for six to 12 matches for “almost all acts of discrimination by individual participants”, and Spurs fans will hold their breaths to find out how long they might miss their talismanic midfielder during the early stages of the English Premier League season.
Previous precedents do not paint a positive picture for Bentancur, as the FA has been strict about any instances of alleged racism by Premier League footballers in the past. In 2020, Manchester United’s Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani was banned for three games and given a hefty fine for using a racial comment in an Instagram post.
However, Rodrigo Bentancur will not miss Sunday’s North London derby game against Arsenal and is expected to start for Tottenham Hotspur in the crucial clash.
