Tottenham will be without key midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur for the weeks ahead after he was hit with a seven-game ban and £100,000 fine by the Football Association (FA).
The Uruguayan international was in September charged by the FA for suggesting that South Korean team-mate Heung-min Son and his cousins “all look the same”.
Bentancur, who made the comment during an interview broadcast in his native Uruguay back in June, quickly apologised for the remark, claiming it was a “very bad joke”.
Five months after the offence, the midfielder has now been suspended and fined following an independent regulatory commission hearing.
“An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a seven-match suspension and £100,000 fine on Rodrigo Bentancur for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview,” the FA said in a statement on Monday.
“It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute. It was further alleged that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.
“Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing.”
Standard Sport understands the midfielder was looking at a minimum six-game suspension, while the toughest punishment would have been 12 games banned.
Bentancur is set to be unavailable for Spurs domestically until Boxing Day on December 26 but will remain available for European football, so can still feature in his side’s upcoming Europa League fixtures against Roma and Rangers.
He will sit out Spurs’ first game back after the international break away at Manchester City, with the visit of Italian giants Roma to north London then followed by successive Premier League meetings with Fulham, Bournemouth and Chelsea before former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou returns to Glasgow with a trip to Ibrox to take on Rangers.
Bentancur will be out again for the following game at Southampton and then crucially the Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 19, which is followed by a huge home showdown with leaders Liverpool three days later.
The former Juventus star will look to return at Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, after which Spurs host Wolves to see out 2024 and then welcome Newcastle in their first game of the New Year before making the short trip to Arsenal in the north London derby.
Which Tottenham games will Rodrigo Bentancur miss after FA ban?
Manchester City vs Tottenham – November 23
Tottenham vs Fulham – December 1
Bournemouth vs Tottenham – December 5
Tottenham vs Chelsea – December 8
Southampton vs Tottenham – December 15
Tottenham vs Manchester United (Carabao Cup quarter-final) - December 19
Tottenham vs Liverpool - December 22
(All games in Premier League unless stated otherwise)
