Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur who plays for London club Tottenham Hotspur has been given a seven-match domestic ban and fined £100,000 by the English Football Association for using a racial slur about his own team-mate Son Heung-min, who is originally from Korea.
The FA’s decision aligns with its commitment to eradicating racism from football.
By imposing a significant penalty, the FA reinforces the message that discriminatory remarks, regardless of intent, are unacceptable and carry serious consequences.
This approach is consistent with previous actions taken against players for similar offenses, underscoring the importance of maintaining respect and inclusivity within the sport.
Bentancur, who has also been ordered to take part in a mandatory face-to-face re-education programme, was charged by Britain’s Football Association for comments made while appearing on TV and speaking in Spanish in his home country of Uruguay back in June.
“Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent regulatory commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing,” said an FA statement.
Bentancur has played 15 times for Tottenham this season and scored his first goal of the campaign in a defeat by Ipswich on 11 November.
The incident happened in his own time and so, as he plays in England, fell under the jurisdiction of the FA.
When charging the Uruguay international the FA said it was “an alleged breach of FA rule E3 for misconduct in relation to a media interview”.
The FA said this constituted an “aggravated breach… as it included a reference, whether express or implied, to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin”.
In the media interview in question, asked by a presenter for a Tottenham shirt, Bentancur replied: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.”
He later apologised on social media and said his comments were a “very bad joke”.
Bentancur also said sorry to South Korea forward Son, who said he would “not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive”.
A response to the charge sent by Tottenham on behalf of Bentancur said: “Rodrigo’s reply was sarcastic and a gentle rebuke for the journalist calling Sonny ‘the Korean’”.
“Rodrigo does not believe that all Koreans ‘look more or less the same’. The context of the exchange clearly shows Rodrigo is being sarcastic… Rodrigo was challenging the journalist in his description of his club team-mate.”
It was also submitted that Bentancur’s apology for his comments was “not for what he said, but for the inadequate reporting on the interview which excluded” the presenter’s reference to Son as “the Korean”.
However, the panel concluded Bentancur’s “conduct in using the words he did, in the full context in which they were used, was clearly abusive and insulting, and would amount to misconduct”.
The panel said that they could not accept the submission of Bentancur as it “flies in the face of the evidence” and “does not sit with the content or form of the player’s apologies or the response of THFC or Son Heung-min”.
In determining the sanction, the independent regulatory commission took into account Bentancur had no previous offences, did not mean to cause offence and, “despite the submissions made on his behalf before us which tended to undermine the force of that early apology, we consider his remorse was and is genuine”.
It added: “In all the circumstances, we consider that, in terms of culpability and consequences, this breach falls towards the lower end of the guideline range but not the lowest point.”
Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said it welcomed the decision to hold Bentancur accountable for using a racial slur.
“A significant number of reports were made to Kick It Out regarding the incident at the time,” said a statement. “Highlighting how abuse directed at players from East and Southeast Asian backgrounds not only impacts the individuals involved but also affects fans in the wider community.
“It’s important we all recognise and report this type of discrimination when it happens.”
One Tottenham fan commented to the BBC that it wasn’t right to punish the club and the fans for something a player said in another country.
Another Spurs fan said that Betancour was lucky to get a seven-match ban, and that he ought to have been sacked.
The incident has sparked discussions in Uruguay about cultural sensitivities and the importance of understanding and respecting diverse backgrounds. Many fans express hope that Bentancur will learn from this experience and continue to represent Uruguay positively on the international stage.
Sources: BBC, The Times, Football Association.
