Rodrigo Bentancur has been handed a seven-match domestic suspension after an independent Regulatory Commission determined he violated FA Rule E3 in an aggravated manner. The violation arose from a comment he made about his Tottenham teammate Heung-min Son.
On September 12, the FA charged Bentancur with misconduct following a media interview that surfaced in June. During the interview, Bentancur was asked by the host of Canal 10 to display the shirt of a Tottenham player. When asked if it was Heung-min Son’s shirt, Bentancur responded, “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too, as they all look the same.”
Although Bentancur quickly apologized for his comment, the incident was deemed an “aggravated breach,” prompting an independent regulatory commission panel to decide whether to uphold or dismiss the FA’s charge.
“He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologized. Lolo [Bentancur] would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all,” Son said in a post on social media. “We’re past this, we’re united, and we will be back together in preseason to fight for our club as one.”
Bentancur has been handed a seven-match domestic suspension and fined £100,000. Additionally, he must complete an education program by March 11, 2025. As a result, Tottenham will be without the 27-year-old for six Premier League fixtures, including the upcoming match at Manchester City this Saturday and the home game against Liverpool on December 22. Bentancur’s suspension will sideline him for the EFL Cup quarter-final against Manchester United, though he remains eligible to feature in UEFA Europa League fixtures.
If Bentancur remains fit while playing in the Europa League, he could make his return to English football on Boxing Day, Thursday, December 26, when Tottenham faces Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, where they will meet former head coach Nuno Espírito Santo.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
