Spurs midfielder Bentancur banned for 7 games

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been issued a seven-match domestic suspension by the Football Association (FA) following the use of a racial slur directed at teammate Son Heung-min. The incident, which occurred during a television appearance in his native Uruguay in June, has also resulted in Bentancur being fined £100,000.

The FA brought the charge against Bentancur in September, and while the player denied the accusation, an independent regulatory commission reviewed the evidence, found the charge to be proven, and imposed the sanctions. In a statement, the FA confirmed: *"Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent regulatory commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing."*

The suspension will keep the 27-year-old out of domestic competitions until 26 December, sidelining him for crucial Premier League fixtures against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea. In addition, Bentancur will miss Tottenham’s League Cup quarter-final clash against Manchester United, along with several other domestic matches during the busy holiday season. Despite the domestic ban, he will remain eligible to represent Spurs in their Europa League campaign, allowing him to feature in key European fixtures during this period.

Photo by Winston Tjia on Unsplash

This setback comes as Bentancur has been an important part of Tottenham’s squad this season. The midfielder has made 15 appearances so far, playing a vital role in manager Ange Postecoglou’s plans. He also managed to score his first goal of the campaign during a Premier League match against Ipswich Town on 11 November, although Tottenham ultimately suffered a defeat in that game.

The disciplinary action against Bentancur has attracted significant attention, both due to the nature of the charge and its implications for Tottenham, who are competing in multiple competitions and will need to navigate his absence. The club has yet to issue an official statement addressing the matter, and it remains to be seen how this will impact Bentancur’s standing within the team moving forward.

For now, Tottenham must contend with a busy domestic schedule without one of their key players, while Bentancur will have to work to rebuild trust both on and off the pitch.