Rodrigo Bentancur set for ‘significant’ ban as punishment for racist comment about Tottenham team-mate Son Heung-min

The Uruguay international was charged by the Football Association (FA) in September over a comment on a television show in his homeland. Bentancur joked that he had a shirt from Son “or a cousin of Sonny, they all look the same”.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Spurs are bracing for the 27-year-old to miss several matches as The Athletic reports the club expect him to be given a long ban. After the international break, Tottenham will face a daunting run of Premier League games against Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool.

  WHAT SON SAID

  Bentancur apologised to Son with a public social media post and the South Korea international said his team-mate almost broke down in tears when they next met.

  “I was at home and I didn’t even realise what was going on,” he said. “He just sent me a long text message that you could feel was coming from his heart. Afterwards, when he came back to the training ground for pre season, he just like felt really sorry and almost like cried when he apologised publicly and also personally as well. It felt like he feels really sorry. We’re all human and make mistakes, and we learn from it. But I love Rodrigo. I love him, I love him. You know, he made a mistake. But I have no problem at all. At all.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BENTANCUR?

  Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has warned Bentancur that he will have to accept the punishment that comes with his comments as he waits for the final ruling from the FA.