The incident, which occurred during a television interview in Bentancur's native Uruguay in June, has attracted much attention and criticism.
During the interview, the presenter asked Bentancur if he could provide him with a Tottenham shirt. In response, Bentancur replied, "Sonny's? He could also be Sonny's cousin, since they all look the same." The comment, directed at South Korean international Son Heung-min, was widely condemned for perpetuating racial stereotypes about East Asians.
Following the backlash, Bentancur apologized on Instagram and admitted that his comments were a "joke in very bad taste." He regretted the pain his words caused and acknowledged the inappropriateness of the comment. "I know this was wrong and I am deeply sorry," Bentancur said in his apology.
The FA has since charged the 27-year-old Uruguay international with breaching FA rule E3, which covers misconduct in relation to media interviews. The governing body said Bentancur's words constituted an "aggravated violation" of the rule, given the racial and ethnic connotations of his comments. The FA also noted that acts of discrimination by players can lead to match-based sanctions ranging from six to twelve games.
A statement from the FA confirmed that Bentancur had until Thursday, September 19 to respond to the accusation. The incident, which caught the attention of anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, has been described as part of a wider problem affecting East Asian and other marginalized communities.
Kick It Out reported receiving a "significant number" of complaints following Bentancur's comments
Despite the controversy, Son Heung-min accepted Bentancur's apology, indicating that the couple has reconciled and is ready to move on.
Speaking in June, Son said: "I have spoken to Lolo. He made a mistake, he knows it and he apologized. Lolo never intentionally meant anything offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all."
Son added that the two players were united in their commitment to Tottenham and would continue working together next season. "We have already overcome this, we are united and we will be together again in preseason to fight for our club as one," Son said.
During the interview, the presenter asked Bentancur if he could provide him with a Tottenham shirt. In response, Bentancur replied, "Sonny's? He could also be Sonny's cousin, since they all look the same." The comment, directed at South Korean international Son Heung-min, was widely condemned for perpetuating racial stereotypes about East Asians.
Following the backlash, Bentancur apologized on Instagram and admitted that his comments were a "joke in very bad taste." He regretted the pain his words caused and acknowledged the inappropriateness of the comment. "I know this was wrong and I am deeply sorry," Bentancur said in his apology.
The FA has since charged the 27-year-old Uruguay international with breaching FA rule E3, which covers misconduct in relation to media interviews. The governing body said Bentancur's words constituted an "aggravated violation" of the rule, given the racial and ethnic connotations of his comments. The FA also noted that acts of discrimination by players can lead to match-based sanctions ranging from six to twelve games.
A statement from the FA confirmed that Bentancur had until Thursday, September 19 to respond to the accusation. The incident, which caught the attention of anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, has been described as part of a wider problem affecting East Asian and other marginalized communities.
Kick It Out reported receiving a "significant number" of complaints following Bentancur's comments
Despite the controversy, Son Heung-min accepted Bentancur's apology, indicating that the couple has reconciled and is ready to move on.
Speaking in June, Son said: "I have spoken to Lolo. He made a mistake, he knows it and he apologized. Lolo never intentionally meant anything offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all."
Son added that the two players were united in their commitment to Tottenham and would continue working together next season. "We have already overcome this, we are united and we will be together again in preseason to fight for our club as one," Son said.
