Tottenham Hotspur have seen their appeal against Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-game suspension dismissed.
Bentancur was given a seven-game suspension and £100,000 fine by the Football Association (FA) after he said Tottenham team-mate Son Heung-min and his cousins “all look the same” during an interview on television programme Por La Camiseta, which is broadcast in the midfielder’s native Uruguay.
The 27-year-old denied the original FA charge and Spurs appealed against the sanction, which they described as “severe”. Tottenham’s appeal could only have reduced Bentancur’s ban down to six matches.
An independent appeals body confirmed the appeal had been dismissed on Tuesday morning.
In a joint statement with The Frank Soo Foundation, which support East and Southeast Asians in football, anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out said they had received more complaints about the Spurs appeal than the incident itself.
“Many of the reports from the East and Southeast Asian community and beyond told us how angry and disappointed they were with the club’s actions and how it extended the pain for those who were affected by the original incident,” the statement said.
“We know this has been an upsetting episode for many fans and hope the club will now reflect on its decision and how it might seek to engage with the community.
“The number of reports to Kick It Out over recent seasons shows that more education is needed to highlight East and Southeast Asian racism in football, and we would urge clubs to tackle this in the same manner as other forms of discrimination.”
Bentancur has missed Tottenham’s past five Premier League games and will remain unavailable for Sunday’s game against Liverpool and Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United. His first match back could be the trip to Nottingham Forest on December 26.
Though he has been suspended domestically, Bentancur has remained eligible to feature in Tottenham’s Europa League fixtures.
This season, Bentancur has made 10 Premier League appearances and five in Europe, including last Thursday’s 1-1 draw at Rangers.
GO DEEPER
Rodrigo Bentancur's seven-game ban explained: What the Spurs player did and what he'll miss
(Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)