Rodrigo Bentancur Hit with Seven-Game Ban for Racist Remark

Tottenham Hotspur and Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been handed a seven-match suspension and fined £100,000 by the English Football Association (FA) after using abusive language during a Spanish-language interview on Uruguayan television in June.

The ban, restricted to domestic competitions, means Rodrigo Bentancur will sit out Premier League fixtures against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool, as well as a Carabao Cup quarterfinal showdown with Manchester United. However, he remains eligible to feature in Tottenham’s Europa League clashes with Roma and Rangers.

The controversy arose from an interview on the Uruguayan television show Por La Camiseta, where Bentancur made a comment that sparked outrage. Host Rafa Cotelo asked the midfielder about obtaining a teammate’s shirt, to which Bentancur replied, “Sonny’s?”—referring to Son Heung-Min—before adding, “It could be Sonny’s cousin too, as they all look the same.”

The FA charged the Uruguayan international with bringing the game into disrepute, highlighting that the remarks constituted an “aggravated breach” under their guidelines as they referenced race, nationality, or ethnic origin.

Bentancur denied the initial charges but, following an investigation, the FA imposed the punishment. In addition to the suspension and fine, he must attend mandatory face-to-face education sessions by March 2025.

Ahead of the decision, Bentancur admitted he was prepared for repercussions. The midfielder issued an apology on Instagram on June 20, calling his remark a “very bad joke.”

Son Heung-Min, Tottenham’s captain, addressed the incident five days later, offering public forgiveness to his teammate. “He made a mistake, he knows this, and he has apologised. Lolo [Bentancur] would never intentionally say something offensive. We’re brothers, and nothing has changed at all,” Son wrote on social media.