Tottenham appeal Bentancur’s seven-game suspension

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North London club Tottenham Hotspur have made an appeal challenging the duration of midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur’s suspension.

Earlier this week, the Uruguayan player was banned for seven games by The English Football Association (FA). He was also fined £100,000 for breaching FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview.

Tottenham confirmed in a statement released on Thursday its acceptance of Bentancur’s guilt. The club however pleaded that the punishment meted out be reduced.

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“While we accept the guilty finding against Rodrigo by the independent regulatory commission, we believe the subsequent sanction is severe,” the statement read.

“Rodrigo will remain suspended from domestic competitions while the appeal is heard.”

The 27-year-old’s domestic suspension starts on Saturday, 23 November, when Spurs take on Manchester City. He will miss six Premier League games, along with the EFL Cup quarter-final against Manchester United on Thursday, 19 December.

However, he remains eligible for UEFA Europa League fixtures. This means he can feature against Roma at home on Thursday, 28 November, and away at Rangers on Thursday, 12 December.

The FA statement announcing Bentancur’s suspension

“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.”

Bentancur has been named in the starting XI in seven of Spurs’ 11 Premier League games this campaign. He has come off the bench thrice and has also accrued 14 appearances in all competitions.

The player also scored the club’s last goal before the international break. He headed in a goal against Ipswich Town in their 2-1 home defeat on 10 November.

Tags: Rodrigo Bentancur, FA Rule E3, £100,000, ban, seven games, appeal, Tottenham, The FA, Football Association, #PremierLeague, Uruguayan, #NewsRoundTheClock, #nrtcnigeria, #nrtcnews, #nrtcnewsnigeria, #nrtcsports.