The FA has announced Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been banned for seven matches for comments he made about his team-mate Son Heung-min earlier this year.
The Athletic explains what he did, how all parties reacted, and the implications for the player and club.
What happened?
In June, Bentancur appeared on television show Por la Camiseta in his native Uruguay. Talking about his Tottenham captain Son, also captain of the South Korean national team, Bentancur said: “Sonny, or one of Sonny’s cousins, as they all look more or less the same.”
Bentancur then apologised to Son on social media, writing: “Sonny, brother! I am sorry for what happened, it was a joke in bad taste. You know that I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone. I love you brother!”
Bentancur also apologised to Son directly, and again in person when the players next met when the Uruguayan returned from the Copa America for pre-season training. Son later said that Bentancur “almost cried” while doing so.
The FA asked Bentancur for his observations on June 26 when Bentancur was at the Copa America. Tottenham submitted observations on Bentancur’s behalf on August 19. The FA sent Bentancur a formal letter on September 11, charging him with a breach of Rule E3, and Bentancur denied the charge.
Rule E3.1 states participants in football must not use “insulting words”, while E3.2 defines an ‘Aggravated Breach’ as being one that refers to “ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality” along with other characteristics.
The three-member regulatory commission met on November 12 and found Bentancur had breached Rule E3.1, and that it was an aggravated breach. The commission unanimously decided Bentancur should be banned for seven domestic games, fined £100,000 ($125,000) and must take part in a face-to-face education programme.
How did Spurs initially respond?
Tottenham issued a statement on June 20: “Following a comment from Rodrigo Bentancur in an interview and the player’s subsequent public apology, the club has been providing assistance in ensuring a positive outcome. This will include further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion objectives. We fully support that our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident.”
When manager Ange Postecoglou was first asked about it in a press conference in July, he said: “The most important person in that whole process is Sonny, so he’ll guide us and direct us. It’s easier to jump in and make judgments. The most important people are the ones affected and in this case, it’s Sonny.”
The day after the FA announced it would charge Bentancur. Postecoglou said the midfielder had made a “big error” and that “he has got to take the punishment”.
“We all make mistakes,” Postecoglou added on September 13. “It is not just about punishment but it is an opportunity for people to atone and learn. If we’re talking about having a society that is understanding and tolerant of everything, we must also show that to people who make mistakes as Rodri has made in this time.”
What did Son say about it?
Son spoke about the incident soon afterwards, confirming Bentancur had apologised and he had accepted. “He made a mistake,” Son said on Instagram on June 20, “he knows this and has apologised. ‘Lolo’ (Bentancur) would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all.”
Three months later, following Bentancur’s FA charge, Son spoke about it at more length during a press conference on September 25, the day before Spurs’ Europa League game against Qarabag. He revealed Bentancur “almost cried” when he apologised and reiterated how close the two players were.
“The process is with the FA and that’s why I can’t say much about it, but I love Rodrigo,” Son said. “I repeat: I love him, I love him. He apologised straight afterwards, when we had a holiday. I was at home and I didn’t even realise what was going on. He just sent me a long text message that you could feel was coming from his heart. Afterwards, when he came back to the training ground for pre-season, he just felt really sorry and almost cried when he apologised publicly and also personally as well. It felt like he feels really sorry.”
“We’re all human and make mistakes, and we learn from it,” Son also said. “But I love Rodrigo. I love him, I love him. He made a mistake. But I have no problem at all. At all. We just move on as team-mates and friends and brothers, move on together. I hope. We just have to wait for the FA’s process. I can’t say much. But one thing I can say is that I love Rodrigo. There is nothing more to say.”
What did the commission say and why seven games?
The three-person regulatory commission was in clear agreement with the FA charge. The report says it is their “firm conclusion” that the breach under Rules E3.1 and E3.2 was proved.
The report says that in Bentancur’s submissions to the commission, he argued his comments were “intended to be a light-hearted and jocular manner of chiding the journalist for his use of a generalisation that was wholly inappropriate”.
Rafa Cotelo, the Uruguayan journalist conducting the interview, had just referred to Son as “the Korean”. Bentancur’s statement claimed that his remarks were meant to “gently challenge” Cotelo, and a “gentle rebuke” to his comments. The report said Bentancur’s apologies afterwards were not for what he said, but for the fact the incident had been reported without reference to Cotelo’s preceding words. This argument was not accepted. “However, we cannot accept that submission, which flies in the face of the evidence,” the report says. “It does not sit with the content or form of the player’s apologies or the response of the club or Son.”
The report also said the commission was not “impressed” by another argument Bentancur made, that he had a “reasonable expectation of privacy” and a reasonable expectation “that the journalist would show more common sense in what he posted”. “We do not accept that the player could reasonably have been surprised at the publication of anything that he said in the interview,” the commission said, “including the remarks at the heart of this charge.”
Explaining why Bentancur was banned for seven games, the report states the suspension had to be between six and 12 games, with six being the standard minimum punishment. The commission’s view was that this breach “falls towards the lower end of the guideline range but not the lowest point”, which is how they arrived at seven.
What is Tottenham’s position now?
It remains to be seen whether there will be an appeal from Tottenham or a separate internal disciplinary process. Tottenham have not commented since the FA ban was announced on Monday morning.
How does this seven-game ban compare to previous bans?
In December 2020, Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani was given a three-game ban and a £100,000 fine for using an offensive Spanish phrase on social media. He was also made to attend a face-to-face education programme. Cavani pled guilty to the FA charge, which was also considered an “aggravated breach”, in that his words “included reference, whether express or implied, to colour and/or race and/or ethnic origin”.
In 2019, Bernardo Silva was given a one-match ban and a £50,000 fine after a tweet about team-mate Benjamin Mendy. In 2016, Burnley forward Andre Gray was banned for four games and fined £25,000 for homophobic comments he had made on social media in 2012.
How important has Bentancur been to Spurs this season?
Bentancur had a difficult time last season as he struggled with injuries and a lack of rhythm. He did not start until November 26, got injured again and did not have a run of games until the new year. It was only at the end of the season that he started to look like his old self.
This season, Bentancur has looked sharper, playing in the No 6 role, and appearing to have the edge over Yves Bissouma. He has started 10 of Spurs’ 17 games and has played the bigger games recently, not least the two standout wins over Manchester City and Aston Villa the week before last.
Last Sunday, he started against Ipswich Town and scored a second-half header, although Spurs could not get back into the game. It was his first Spurs goal since January.
What are the on-pitch ramifications?
It will have a significant impact on Postecoglou’s Spurs at a crucial time. Bentancur will miss the Premier League trip to Manchester City on Saturday, Fulham at home on December 1, Bournemouth away on December 5, Chelsea at home on December 8, Southampton away on December 15, Manchester United at home in their Carabao Cup quarter-final on December 19, and Liverpool at home in the league on December 22.
The next domestic game he will be available for will be the trip to the City Ground to play Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.
Bentancur can still play in the Europa League in Spurs’ league phase games against Roma at home (November 28) and Rangers away (December 12).
Postecoglou will likely lean on Bissouma in the seven domestic games Bentancur will miss. Bissouma and Bentancur have rotated the No 6 role this season. Postecoglou could also turn to 18-year-old Archie Gray, who has impressed this season, but has played more often at full-back than in his preferred midfield role. Gray has yet to start a Premier League game.
(Top photo: Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)