Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur Charged by FA for Racial Slur Directed at Son Heung-min

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged by the Football Association (FA) for making a racially insensitive remark about his teammate, Son Heung-min. The incident took place during an appearance on Uruguayan TV in June, where Bentancur made a comment implying that all East Asians “look the same” after being asked about obtaining a Tottenham shirt.

Following backlash, Bentancur issued an apology on Instagram, admitting that his comment was a “very bad joke.” However, the FA has deemed the 27-year-old Uruguayan’s remarks as an “aggravated breach” of FA Rule E3, which prohibits abusive or insulting language that references race, nationality, or ethnic origin.

The FA’s statement detailed that Bentancur acted improperly and that his comments brought the sport into disrepute. Under FA rules, discriminatory acts typically result in a match ban ranging from 6 to 12 games. Bentancur has until September 19 to respond to the charges.

The incident led to numerous complaints to anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, which highlighted the harmful impact of such comments on East Asian communities. Despite the controversy, Son Heung-min publicly accepted Bentancur’s apology, calling the incident a mistake and reaffirming that their relationship remains strong.

“We’re past this, we’re united, and we will be back together in pre-season to fight for our club as one,” said Son.