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Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has landed in hot water with the FA over some controversial comments about teammate Son Heung-min.
In an interview, Bentancur joked, “they all look the same,” when asked to identify Son and his cousin.
“Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged with an alleged breach of FA Rule E3 for misconduct in relation to a media interview,” a statement from the FA read.
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“It’s alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has 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’s 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 has until Thursday 19 September 2024 to provide a response to this charge.”
The comment, made in a video over the summer, sparked backlash. Now, Bentancur faces potential punishment ranging from an educational course to a 12-game suspension.
Son says Bentancur apologised
Despite the charge, Bentancur remains eligible to play in Sunday’s north London derby against Arsenal. Son has since stated that Bentancur apologised for the remark.
“I’ve spoken with Lolo [Bentancur]. He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologised,” Son said in June.
“Lolo would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all.
“We’re past this, we’re united and we will be back together in pre-season to fight for our club as one.”
Tags: Son Heung-Min, Rodrigo Bentancur, Tottenham, FA, FA Rule, #NewsRoundTheClock, #nrtcnewsnigeria, #nrtcnews, #nrtcsports, #nrtcnigeria.