MADRID, 12 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The English Football Association (FA) could sanction Tottenham’s Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur after accusing him of using inappropriate words about his teammate, South Korean Heung-min Son, during an interview.
Last June, the Uruguay international was asked in an interview about a Spurs player’s shirt, to which he replied: “Sonny’s? It could also be Sonny’s cousin’s, as they all look the same.”
The Kick It Out charity, which fights discrimination in English football, said it had received a “significant number” of complaints following the incident, and Bentancur apologised to the South Korean striker and Spurs captain, who settled the matter by saying that the midfielder had “made a mistake” for which he had “apologised” and that he had not meant to “intentionally say anything offensive”.
“Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged with an alleged breach of FA Rule E3 for misconduct in relation to a media interview. The Tottenham midfielder is alleged to have breached FA Rule E3.1 by acting inappropriately and/or using abusive and/or insulting words and/or bringing the game into disrepute,” the federation said.
The body also stated that this constitutes an “aggravated breach”, as defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference, express or implied, to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin. “Rodrigo Bentancur has until Thursday 19 September 2024 to provide a response to this allegation,” it said.