The Mirror

With a racial slur, Rodrigo Bentancur insulted a nation of 52 million people, including his team-mate and captain.

But Spurs are upset because the Uruguayan midfielder is going to miss Liverpool at home. That is how it looks. You would have thought Tottenham Hotspur might be more sensitive than most when it comes to casual, but harmful, discrimination, but, instead, they believe Bentancur has been hard done by.

When asked in a TV interview in his homeland to provide a shirt belonging to a Spurs player, Bentancur replied: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.” It could not have been more offensive. And, in a different way, Spurs’ decision to appeal against the Football Association’s sanction of Bentancur could not be more offensive.

The next time Spurs take part in a Premier League campaign against racism and discrimination, just remember the day they objected to one of their players being punished with a seven-match ban for saying that all South Koreans look the same. As always in these types of cases, there will be a lot of whataboutery.

And what the punishment of Bentancur has most certainly done is highlight the absolute disgrace of Enzo Fernandez not yet being held to account for the racist song he and his Argentine team-mates sang about French players. Apparently, it is to do with jurisdiction. Well, whatever the jurisdiction issues, the assorted football authorities - FIFA and CONMEBOL, in particular - should be ashamed.

Just as Chelsea should be ashamed for the way they, effectively, swept the whole issue under the carpet. A month after his chant, they even made Fernandez captain, for goodness sake. A lot of clubs seem to be tough on racism and discrimination - but not when it involves one of their own.

It seems Spurs and the player’s legal representatives believed Bentancur’s contrition and immediate apology to Son Heung-min should have been mitigating factors. But what is less widely known - mainly because few can be bothered reading the independent commission’s written reasons for the punishment - is that Bentancur actually denied the misconduct charge and denied it was an aggravated breach.

He claimed his comment was - after the man interviewing him referred to Son as ‘the Korean’ - a “sarcastic and gentle rebuke … intended to be a light-hearted and jocular manner of chiding the journalist for his use of a generalisation that was wholly inappropriate.”

Rightly, the commission emphatically dismissed that defence. Bentancur might have apologised to Son but he tried to wriggle off the charge. And having been given a seven-game ban, which is only one more than the minimum tariff for such an offence, Spurs are now appealing against the sanction, believing it to be “severe”.

If the minimum he could have got was six, Tottenham are, presumably, just trying to get him available for what will be number seven - that home match against Liverpool on December 22. But what is ‘severe’ here is Tottenham’s lack of judgement, Tottenham’s lack of sensitivity.

One of the club’s players has made a racial slur. Take the punishment, educate him and try to be better. And don’t worry about Liverpool at home.

Ruben Amorim could inadvertently play a role in sending Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid next summer.

The new Manchester United head coach has only been in place for 11 days, but the rumour mill has already kicked into gear. Amorim has been continuously linked with moves for his stand-out players at Sporting Lisbon, with Viktor Gyokeres the chief among the players who could follow him to Old Trafford.

But the 39-year-old coach’s influence extends beyond just Sporting, where he spent four very successful years and won two league titles. He has a big fan in north London, having played a huge role in the development of Tottenham right-back Pedro Porro.

Porro spent two and a half seasons working under Amorim’s management at Sporting, winning one league title and two domestic cups. The 25-year-old moved from Sporting to Tottenham in January 2023, initially on loan, before signing permanently in the summer for around £40million.

However, if Spanish outlet AS are to be believed, people close to Porro are ‘convinced’ that Amorim will try and bring the full-back to United in the near future. Amorim will implement a 3-4-3 formation at Old Trafford which could suit Porro perfectly, but his future could well be entwined with Liverpool star Alexander-Arnold’s due to Real Madrid.

Real want to sign a new right-back to become the long-term successor to the injured Dani Carvajal and are interested in both Porro and Alexander-Arnold. But one looks much more likely than the other, due to their contractual situations.

While Alexander-Arnold is out of contract with Liverpool in June, Porro is under contract with Spurs until June 2028. AS report that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy values him at €70m (£58.3m) and will not budge – a fact Real have become familiar with in the dealings over Luka Modric and Gareth Bale in the past.

Tottenham’s reluctance to do business with Real over Porro could help propel Alexander-Arnold to Madrid. The 26-year-old has been coy over his plans, but the temptation to join close friend Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital is definitely there, while the situation around his team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah is another factor to consider.

Like Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk’s deal are set to expire in the summer and they also haven’t agreed new terms yet. But they are at a later stage in their careers and are considered more likely to stay put.

"Look, I have been at the club 20 years now, I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public,” Alexander-Arnold said in September. “And this one won't be either. I want to be a Liverpool player this season (as a minimum) is what I will say.

"The most important thing is always trophies, if I am honest. I want to win trophies, I am a player who is highly motivated by trophies and winning things and being elite. So that is probably the main factor of anything, if you have a personality that is elite, who wants to win and will do anything to win, then that is what drives me."

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has called Rodrigo Bentancur "an outstanding person" after his seven-match ban for comments about team-mate Son Heung-min - and said the club would support him through his suspension.

Bentancur will miss a huge chunk of games for Spurs after an interview with a Uruguayan TV station earlier this year where he was asked for Son's shirt and replied: "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

The midfielder has also been fined £100,000, with Tottenham confirming they accept his guilty verdict but insisting they would lodge an appeal against the severity of the ban.

Postecoglou said Bentancur had made a "mistake" but said he was supporting Tottenham's appeal, adding that the player and club were bracing for a lengthy ban before the punishment was officially handed down.

"It's obviously disappointing because he's been great for us this year," Postecoglou said. "He's one of the ones whose football has gone up a level. But we understood that this was coming and there was an acceptance that whatever the penalties were, I fully support the club's decision to appeal the severity of the ban.

"Ultimately we know it's going to be for X amount of games and we'll work with Rodrigo through that time to make sure he has all our support so when he's available again he's ready to go."

Bentancur - who has apologised to Son for the slur - has been one of Tottenham's best players this season, starting seven Premier League games and scoring in their last game, which was a 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich, with his absence coming as a huge blow to the team.

Postecoglou defended Bentancur after his comments, saying they were uncharacteristic for him and that he was "a person of utmost character".

"I haven't spoken to him since it came out because he's been away with Uruguay and he's not quite back yet," he added. "I had spoken to him in the lead up to it. He understands he's made a mistake and prepared to accept whatever penalty that comes this way.

"We as a club are going to support him because the one thing that's undeniable to me - I know him, he's an outstanding person - he's an unbelievable team-mate, he's a person of the utmost character that's made a mistake. I think when that happens our role is to support him in any way we can."

The first game Bentancur will miss is Tottenham's trip to Manchester City this Saturday, followed by games against Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton, Manchester United and Liverpool. He will still be available in the Europa League.

Tottenham have unveiled a new logo which they say embraces the clubs "rich history and unmistakable heritage".

Tottenham have redesigned their badge, with the club deciding to remove the words 'Tottenham Hotspur' from underneath their iconic crest which features a cockerel standing on a football. The move is the culmination of nine months of work with sports branding specialists Studio Nomad.

They also unveiled a new silhouette version of the logo, a remastered font and reintroduced the THFC monogram. In a statement, they announced the new logo will be rolled out across the club in time for their next home game - a Europa League clash against AS Roma on November 28.

Head coach Ange Postecoglou said: "We want to be a certain type of football club - we want success like everyone else, but we want to arrive there doing it our way. The brand represents consistently challenging what you do and looking for an edge - when you do get it right, you create something special.

"It encapsulates values that are ingrained in what this football club is - we want our people to dream and we want to stand out from the rest and do things a little bit differently." Executive director Donna-Maria-Cullen added: "This is a Club that drives, that forges, that innovates, that is relentless both on and off the pitch.

"This phenomenal exercise has been about bringing it all together, defining it, taking it to the next level. The reimagined brand embraces all the excitement, all the innovation and shows that we're going to be brave, we're going to be exciting and we're going to have some fun – this is where we should be with our brand right now.

"We have taken aspects from our history, our emblems, our imagery and we've taken them forward – we've now got something that we have built from listening to everyone at the Club, on and off the pitch, and the consistent message coming through. This is something that everyone can unite behind."

However, some fans have questioned the logo change, with one simply responding: "But why?" A second wrote: "Watched this 3 times and I'm still not actually sure what you're changing".

Another wrote: "It's the same thing". While a fourth commented: "'Remastered' You've removed some text. It's hardly rebranded".

Tottenham Hotspur's Rodrigo Bentancur has been issued a seven-game ban - but that's far from the longest ever seen in the Premier League.

The Uruguayan midfielder was filmed in June during an interview for local TV show 'Por La Camiseta,' in which the 27-year-old is claimed to have stated that South Korean people "all look the same," replying to a question in Spanish.

Despite taking to Instagram in the wake of this comment, which he dubbed "a very bad joke," the FA confirmed that Bentancur would be charged with an 'aggravated breach' of their rules. The two team-mates made up online, but, Spurs are now without the midfielder for seven games, including a trip to Manchester City and a clash with Chelsea.

However, Bentancur's seven-game suspension is nowhere near the longest ban imposed in the English top flight's history, as Mirror Football takes a look back at the longest disciplinary actions ever handed out.

Paolo Di Canio

Back in 1998, during a matchup with Arsenal, then-Sheffield Wednesday ace Paulo Di Canio landed himself in hot water after an altercation with a match official.

The Italian was shown a red card by referee Paul Alcock after a melee between both sides, and didn't take kindly to the sending off, pushing the official to the ground. This earned him an 11-game ban and a £10,000 fine.

Di Canio later expressed remorse, saying: "I want to say that I am very, very sorry for what happened. I had a fair hearing, and I am happy about that."

Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez was slapped with multiple lengthy bans during his time in English football. His first came after an alleged racism incident involving Patrice Evra, which lead eight-game hiatus in 2011.

Another saw Suarez hit with a four-month ban from all football-related activities after he was caught biting Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 World Cup. This notorious act marked the third time Suarez had been accused of such behaviour in his career.

The Uruguayan had previously been suspended for seven games after allegedly biting PSV midfielder Otman Bakkal while playing for Ajax in 2010, and faced a 10-match punishment for a similar incident involving Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in 2013.

Kolo Toure

Former Liverpool and Manchester City defender Kolo Toure faced a six-month suspension in 2011 when he admitted to taking a banned substance found in water tablets he got from his wife.

His legal team fought for a shorter three-month ban to allow him to play for City at the start of the 11/12 season, and eventually, Toure received a backdated ban, enabling him to join Roberto Mancini's squad for their opening match against Swansea.

The relieved Ivorian expressed his gratitude, saying: "I am relieved that I will be able to return to football in September and thank the FA's commission for their understanding."

Adrian Mutu

Once a promising striker at Stamford Bridge, Adrian Mutu saw his Chelsea stint end in shame in 2004 after testing positive for cocaine, resulting in a seven-month ban and the premature termination of his time with the club.

Mutu chose not to have his B sample tested, instead fully admitting to the misconduct. His positive test sparked a protracted legal battle as Chelsea sought financial recompense for his actions.

The Romanian was later ordered to pay £15.2 million in damages to his former employers, the largest financial penalty in FIFA history, after unsuccessful appeals.

Rio Ferdinand

Ex- Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was handed an eight-month suspension and a £50,000 fine for missing a doping test in 2003.

Ferdinand was summoned for a routine drugs test in September 2003, shortly after Sir Alex Ferguson made him England's most expensive player.

An independent tribunal found the England player guilty of misconduct and imposed a ban on him. The suspension meant Ferdinand was ineligible for Euro 2004, and he couldn't help his side stop Arsenal's Invincibles.

Ivan Toney

The former Brentford man departed English football this summer for a big money move to Al-Ahli, leaving behind a somewhat stained legacy after he was issued with an eight-month ban for breaching the FA's gambling rules.

Toney was heading for a 15-month suspension before pleading guilty to the 232 breaches he was accused of, but the 28-year-old still missed out on some of the prime months of his career in 2023.

Despite a move to a Premier League giant being flaunted, there were little-to-no suitors on the back of the ban, and the Saudi Pro League ended up as Toney's destination.

Eric Cantona

Known for his controversial nature during his time in England, Eric Cantona served a nine-month suspension - the longest in league history - whilst at Manchester United after an infamous altercation with a fan.

Having been being sent off at Selhurst Park, Cantona was verbally abused by a Crystal Palace fan as he left the pitch. In response, Cantona launched a 'kung-fu' kick at the bystander, earning him the mammoth ban.

This incident against Palace in 1995 remains a significant part of the Frenchman's legacy, along with his spectacular chip against Sunderland a year later after he had returned.

Mark Bosnich

Another player who also faced a nine-month suspension, like Mutu, goalkeeper Mark Bosnich tested positive for cocaine while playing at Chelsea.

"Yes, I took drugs but only once my career was over. I have no regrets. I owe football absolutely nothing," Bosnich told The Guardian when he retired in 2004.

"I still maintain that at the time of my drugs test in November 2002 I was not taking cocaine... I got talking to a girl who later admitted that she had slipped the drug into her drink. I must have had a sip of her glass."

Sandro Tonali

Though this ban was heard in Italy, Newcastle's Sandro Tonali still missed a large chunk of English top-flight action when he was slapped with a 10-month suspension for betting offences in 2023.

The Italian Football Federation and FIFA could have seen the midfielder face a three-year suspension, but, as he co-operated, much like Toney, this ban was reduced.

The 24-year-old's agent said at the time that his client was "fighting against a gambling addiction," adding that he was "shocked, shaken and sad" at the scandal that rocked Italian football.

Abel Xavier

Middlesbrough's Abel Xavier was the first Premier League star to test positive for a performance-enhancing drug, when he was tested during a UEFA Cup clash in 2005.

His contract was terminated by Boro in the wake of the scandal, but, despite initially being banned for 18 months, this was later reduced to just 12.

"We are surprised by the verdict but cannot make any further comments before receiving the detailed reasoning of the decision," a UEFA spokesperson stated on the back of the original sentence being cut by six motnhs.

Joey Barton

Another player who fell foul to betting offences, Joey Barton's were a little more severe than some of those who came after him. Over 1,000 breaches from 2006 up until 2016 resulted in a hefty punishment.

Barton was banned for 18 months, and despite this being reduced to 13, it remains the longest in Premier League history, and pretty much brought an end to his playing career.

It is also worth noting that Barton received a 12-game ban by the FA in 12 for violent conduct during a brawl against Manchester City on the final day of the 2011/12 season.

Tottenham star Wilson Odobert is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on his right hamstring in the latest set-back for the Frenchman.

Odobert joined the club from Burnley for around £25million this summer but only played five times, suffering two major injury problems - with a hamstring problem initially ruling him out for a month.

He then played just two minutes of action towards the end of Tottenham's 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League before a recurrence of the issue saw him needing to go under the knife.

Tottenham confirmed he had undergone surgery and that he would be looked at closely by the club's medics before making a decision on a return date.

A statement said: "We can confirm that Wilson Odobert underwent surgery to his right hamstring yesterday (Saturday 16 November). The 19-year-old will continue to be closely monitored by our medical team to determine when he can return to training."

Odobert posted a picture of himself in a hospital bed at the Princess Grace Hospital in Marylebone shortly after the surgery was finished, writing a caption that said "thanks God", with the player relieved he can begin his rehabilitation from a niggling problem.

The winger was a surprise signing for Tottenham this summer and his arrival went under the radar, with Spurs scouts impressed by the teenager's bright performances for Burnley under Vincent Kompany last season, despite their relegation.

Odobert's injury is one of many suffered by Spurs this season, with fellow winger Son Heung-min sitting out for around a month after picking up his own hamstring problem.

Hamstrings have been a common theme in north London this season - with Mickey van de Ven and forward Richarlison also being sidelined by similar issues - while Timo Werner is currently out with a hip injury.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said he and his staff would have to be careful in welcoming injured stars back to ensure they don't lose any more players long-term, referencing Son as one player to be delicate with.

He said: "Ultimately for us it's about making sure we get [Son] back and keep him back. Because we can't afford any more injuries in that position. We've got Wilson [Odobert] with a long-term injury, we've got [Richarlison] with a long-term injury, we've got Mikey [Moore] out now so we can't afford to lose another player in that area of the park."

Son Heung-min has been left surprised and disappointed at Tottenham's decision to trigger a contract extension.

The Spurs star is set to see his contract expire at the end of the season but the Lilywhites plan to action a one-year option to extend the deal of their club captain. The 32-year-old is in the final year of his current deal and seemingly open to prolonging his stay in north London but had expected to hold talks over a new long-term agreement according to reports.

Son, who has scored 123 goals in 311 Premier League games, is the only survivor from the Tottenham lineup that started in the 2019 Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino. The South Korea international has remained a talismanic figure for the club, even more so following Harry Kane's departure to Bayern Munich in 2023.

Son admitted in September that discussions over his future had yet to take place with the club. "We haven't talked about anything yet. It is very clear from me," he said. "I am very focused on this season. At this age, every second is like a goal, especially this season, we are in a lot of competitions, it feels like I am taking even more care about this. As I say, I am fully focused on this year and just want to win something that everybody at the club - the players, all around - deserves.

"That's what I'm working for. In the future you never know what will happen, but I will give everything for this club because it's been almost 10 years and I give everything.

"I still have a contract with the club which is the very important thing and I just want to give everything until my contract [expires]."

Now, TalkSPORT report that Spurs have held off on negotiations with Son over a long-term deal, to the player's surprise. Instead, they are moving to simply trigger his clause and add 12 months onto his current contract.

If Son stays with the club until the end of the extension, he will have served 11 years in north London. Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O'Hara believes Son's time at the club is coming to an end however.

“The quality in the final third (has gone)," he said. "He is 32, is he going to go past people? Listen, he has been a great player and an unbelievable player. A Tottenham great.

“But I just feel like when I am watching him now, have you got that sharpness and edge to your game? I don’t think he has. He has gone clean through there one-v-one. The old Sonny, that’s a guaranteed goal. You can’t take him out of the team because there isn’t anyone better than him, but we have to start looking at a new left-winger.”

Ange Postecoglou shared an awkward stare-down with a Tottenham fan after his side’s 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town.

Gifted the chance to climb up the Premier League table, Spurs welcomed the Tractor Boys to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, favoured to win – but fell flat on their faces.

Two quickfire first-half goals from Sammie Szomodics and Liam Delap gave Spurs a mountain to climb, and despite Rodrigo Bentancur halving the deficit from a corner in the 69th minute, Ipswich held on for their first win of the season, and boos sounded around the ground.

As the Australian head coach sauntered down the tunnel after the final whistle, a video emerged of a fan or group seemingly voicing concerns to Postecoglou, which the 59-year-old didn’t take kindly.

Postecoglou was filmed after the loss, exiting the playing surface with his staff, boos still trickling from the stands. Just as he is about to walk out of view, the head coach comes to stop, glaring up at a fan or group in the crowd who assumedly said something that rubbed him up the wrong way – an anger that resonated in his post-match thoughts.

“We didn't start the game well at all. It was all sort of passive. I felt we didn't get the tempo right or intensity right and then we gave ourselves too much of a mountain to climb,” admitted Postecoglou.

“Second half, we were in the ascendancy and had opportunities, but we didn't do enough with them, and we should never have been in that position.

“If we’re inconsistent, that’s down to me. That's my responsibility. The inconsistency we're having this year, ultimately it comes down to me and my approach and something I need to try and fix and see if I can help the players in that area.”

Fans didn’t just take aim at their own, also being highly vocal throughout the match towards Kieran McKenna’s side’s strategic time-outs – mirroring the opinion of Postecoglou.

“Look, I think it's the way the Premier League is going. It's pretty strategic now,” Postecoglou continued. “You can almost look at your clock around the 20-minute mark and some player will go down, they'll all come over to the coach and get instructions.

“It's funny - I always liked the Premier League because it wasn't like that. You would watch teams play in Europe and get frustrated by it, but now it's part of the game here as well.”

Spurs will face a trip to another side in disarray, Manchester City, after the international break and will look to improve on this seasonal low.

Ange Postecoglou slammed “passive” Tottenham for the dozy first-half horror show which left them “too much of a mountain to climb.”

Spurs trailed 2-0 at the break but, unlike their two previous home games against West Ham and Aston Villa, they were unable to overturn the deficit. And Big Ange didn’t pull his punches after a shock defeat to the promoted Tractor Boys which left Tottenham down in 10th place.

He said: “We didn't start the game well at all. It was all sort of passive. I felt we didn't get the tempo right or intensity right and then we gave ourselves too much of a mountain to climb. Second half we were in the ascendancy and had opportunities, but we didn't do enough with them and we should never have been in that position.

“If we’re inconsistent, that’s down to me. That's my responsibility. The inconsistency we're having this year, ultimately it comes down to me and my approach and something I need to try and fix and see if I can help the players in that area.”

Spurs fans were frustrated by Ipswich’s time-wasting and strategic time-outs when players went down injured, allowing their team-mates to have a breather, and Postecoglou is no fan of the tactic either.

He growled: “Look, I think it's the way the Premier League is going. It's pretty strategic now. You can almost look at your clock around the 20-minute mark and some player will go down, they'll all come over to the coach and get instructions.

“It's funny - I always liked the Premier League because it wasn't like that. You would watch teams play in Europe and get frustrated by it, but now it's part of the game here as well.

“Nothing we can do about it. For us, if we want to mitigate those things because we don't do it and we want the game to be played, then we shouldn't give opportunities for the opposition to do that.”

Skipper Heung-min Son apologised to Tottenham fans after his side’s shock defeat, saying: "It’s very disappointing. We conceded a very sloppy goal that shouldn’t happen. It’s more than disappointing.

"Sometimes you have to be calm and find a better solution if someone is in a better position. We have to be better in those kind of situations. It’s very painful.”

Tottenham are set to welcome Ipswich Town in a fixture which won't be televised in the UK.

It's one of four games in the Premier League today (November 10). The visitors, who have only managed to amount five points from their first 10 games, face a daunting task on their travels in the capital.

Spurs have been formidable at home this season, losing just once and boasting a six-game winning streak across all competitions. On the other hand, Ipswich are yet to taste victory this season, with Leicester's stoppage-time equaliser denying them a win at Portman Road last weekend.

The match promises to be a goal fest, with Ange Postecoglou's Spurs leading the league in scoring and Kieran McKenna's Tractor Boys having the second-worst defensive record behind Wolves. However, UK fans will miss out on the live action.

Why is Tottenham vs Ipswich not on TV in the UK?

The game was rescheduled to Sunday due to Tottenham's Europa League match away against Galatasaray on Thursday. Manchester United and Chelsea, who are hosting Leicester City and Arsenal respectively, find themselves in the same predicament.

The London derby at Stamford Bridge will be Sky Sports' Super Sunday main event at 4:30pm, but neither of the other matches were chosen for broadcast. Instead, viewers will be watching Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle.

Starting next season, all matches except those kicking off at 3pm on Saturdays will be televised live in the UK. However, for now, teams competing in Europe's second and third tiers can't bank on their domestic fixtures being shown.

How to watch Tottenham vs Ipswich

While the match won't be televised in the UK, it will be broadcast by local Premier League TV rights holders in other countries. For instance, Sky Germany will be showing the game.

Canal+ in France have opted for United's match instead, but fans in the United States can tune in as NBCUniversal holds the rights to all 380 games in the Premier League this season.

Fans based in the UK will have to hold out for highlights which will be released by Sky shortly after the final whistle. Extended coverage and analysis will be available on Match of the Day 2, airing from 10:30pm on BBC One.