Tottenham Hotspur have appealed against the seven-game suspension handed to Rodrigo Bentancur following his controversial comments about teammate Son Heung-min.
The ban, imposed by the Football Association (FA) on Monday, rules the midfielder out of six Premier League matches and a League Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.
The 27-year-old Uruguay international was charged with misconduct in September for remarks made during a June television interview in his home country. Bentancur’s reference to South Korean star Son’s race was deemed an aggravated breach of FA rules.
Tottenham expressed dissatisfaction with the severity of the punishment in a statement released on Wednesday.
“While we accept the guilty finding against Rodrigo by the independent regulatory commission, we believe the subsequent sanction is severe,” the club said. “Rodrigo will remain suspended from domestic competitions while the appeal is heard, and the club will make no further comment during this time.”
The incident arose when Bentancur, asked during the interview to display a teammate’s shirt, joked, “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.”
Bentancur apologized to Son on Instagram, acknowledging his mistake. Son, the South Korean captain, accepted the apology, emphasizing their strong relationship.
“I’ve spoken with Lolo (Bentancur). He made a mistake, he knows this, and has apologized,” Son wrote. “Lolo would never intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers, and nothing has changed at all.”
In addition to the suspension, Bentancur was fined £100,000 ($126,000). The disciplinary panel noted that it should have been “reasonably foreseeable” to Bentancur that his remarks would be widely shared. While acknowledging his sincere apology and previously unblemished record as mitigating factors, the panel maintained that the punishment reflected the seriousness of the offence.
The outcome of Tottenham’s appeal will determine whether the Uruguayan midfielder’s suspension is reduced.
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