Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been handed a seven-game ban and a £100,000 fine by the English Football Association (FA) for using abusive language and bringing the game into disrepute during an interview on Uruguayan television. pic.twitter.com/QbpHqOef38
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LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been hit with a severe punishment by the English Football Association (FA), receiving a seven-game ban and a £100,000 fine for using abusive language during a television interview on Uruguayan media.
The sanction stems from comments deemed to have breached FA regulations, specifically related to bringing the game into disrepute through inappropriate language. Bentancur’s remarks, made during an interview on Uruguayan television, were found to have violated the association’s strict conduct guidelines.
“Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent regulatory commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing,” said an FA statement.
The 27-year-old will not return to domestic action until 26 December, missing Premier League matches against Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, among others, plus Spurs’ League Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.
He will still be available for Tottenham’s Europa League matches.
Bentancur has played 15 times for Tottenham this season and scored his first goal of the campaign in a defeat by Ipswich on 11 November.
The incident happened in his own time and so, as he plays in England, fell under the jurisdiction of the FA – unlike the situation involving Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
Fernandez was on international duty when he posted a video – which the French Football Federation (FFF) said included an alleged “racist and discriminatory” chant – of Argentina celebrating winning the Copa America, and is being investigated by world governing body Fifa.
