Tottenham Midfielder Charged for Racial Slur

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur faces charges from the Football Association (FA) for allegedly using a racial slur regarding teammate Son Heung-min, BBC reported.

In June, during an interview on Uruguayan TV, Bentancur was asked by the presenter for a Tottenham shirt. He responded, "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same." This statement has raised serious concerns about misconduct.

Bentancur later issued an apology on Instagram, describing his remarks as a "very bad joke." The FA announced that the 27-year-old Uruguay international is charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 related to this media interview. The allegations claim he acted inappropriately and used offensive language, thereby bringing the sport into disrepute.

According to the FA, this incident is deemed an "aggravated breach," involving references to nationality, race, or ethnic origin. FA rules suggest that matches can result in bans between six to twelve games for individual acts of discrimination.  Bentancur must respond to these charges by Thursday, 19 September.

The issue of Bentancur's comments sparked considerable backlash. Anti-discrimination charity Kick it Out noted a "significant number" of complaints regarding the racial slur. This situation sheds light on broader challenges that heavily affect East Asian and other communities.

Son expressed that Bentancur has personally apologized to him for the incident. The two are now back with Spurs for the Premier League season. "I've spoken to Lolo," said Son. "He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologized. Lolo did not intend to say anything offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed." He emphasized their unity: "We're past this, we're united, and we will be back together in pre-season to fight for our club as one."

Earlier, SSP wrote that a record-breaking women's match finished at the US Open.