Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been suspended for seven games and fined £100,000 by an independent regulatory commission for making racist remarks about teammate Son Heung-min during pre-season.
The Football Association confirmed the decision in a statement on Monday, saying Bentancur’s actions breached FA Rule E3.
“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,” the statement read. “It was further alleged that this constitutes an ‘aggravated breach,’ defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.”
Bentancur denied the charges, but the independent regulatory commission found him guilty after a hearing and imposed the sanctions.
Football London confirmed the ruling in a post on X, stating, “Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur’s ban has now been confirmed as well as his fine.”
Bentancur, a key player for Tottenham under manager Ange Postecoglou, has only missed one Premier League match this season due to concussion. The ban will be a significant blow for the team, as he has been instrumental in their campaign so far.
