Tottenham Midfielder Bentancur Banned 7 Games, Fined $126,000 For Offensive Comment On South Koreans

Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was banned for seven matches on Monday for making an offensive comment about South Koreans in relation to a remark about Tottenham teammate Son Heung-min.

English Football Association said in a statement that an independent commission also imposed a £100,000 ($126,000) fine on player.

Appearing on a Uruguayan television show in June, Bentancur was asked for a Tottenham player’s jersey and replied, “Sonny’s?” He ded it could be Son’s cousin, too, because “more or less y are all same.”

Bentancur apologised to Son on Instagram, saying it was a “very b joke” and he would “never disrespect you or hurt you.”

He was charged by English FA in September because he was alleged to have “acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought game into disrepute.”

FA said it constituted an aggravated breach because it included “reference to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.”