Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been handed a seven-match domestic ban by the Football Association (FA) for using a racial slur about his teammate Son Heung-min.
Bentancur, who has also been fined £100,000, was charged by the FA in September following comments made during a television interview in his native Uruguay in June.
“Rodrigo Bentancur denied the charge, but the independent regulatory commission found it proven and imposed sanctions after a hearing,” the FA said in a statement.
The 27-year-old will not return to domestic competition until December 26, missing Premier League games against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, as well as Spurs’ League Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.
However, Bentancur will remain eligible to play in Tottenham’s Europa League fixtures.
The FA’s charge referred to an alleged violation of FA rule E3 regarding misconduct in relation to a media interview. The FA classified it as an “aggravated breach” due to the reference to nationality, race, and/or ethnic origin.
Bentancur apologized to Son, stating that he never intended to cause offense. In the interview, when asked for a Tottenham shirt, Bentancur responded: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too, as they all look the same.”
He later clarified the comment on social media, calling it a “very bad joke.”
Bentancur has made 15 appearances for Tottenham this season and scored his first goal of the campaign in a 2-1 loss to Ipswich on November 11.
