The first Tottenham player to mention… Son Heung-min’s best friend, “Bentancourt SON racist disciplinary action, we need to deal with it seriously.”
“I knew from the news, not from the club.”
The English Football Association (FA) officially announced on the 19th (Korea Standard Time) that “the Independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a seven-game suspension and a £100,000 fine for violating FA Rule E3 (anti-racism rules) in connection with Rodrigo Bentancourt’s media interview.”
“We sent a complaint to Bentancourt on Sept. 12. He denied the allegations and refused to attend the council meeting. So the punishment was only discussed in writing, and an independent regulatory committee decided the charges had been proven and imposed sanctions on her through a hearing,” the FA said in an official statement.
Bentancourt was asked to wear a uniform for Korean players when she appeared on the Uruguayan TV show “For la Camisetta” in June. That meant she wanted Tottenham’s captain Son Heung-min. Bentancourt also said, “Son? (Son Heung-min’s nickname)”.
“It could be Son’s cousin’s uniform. They all look the same,” Bentancourt said with a smile. The host also responded with laughter. It is a clear racist remark that all Asians look alike.
The controversy grew beyond reparation. Bentancourt posted an apology on social media. He said, “Sonny my brother! I apologize for what happened. It was such a bad joke. I really love you, and I want you to know that I will never ignore or hurt you or anyone! I love you brother,” he bowed his head.
Tottenham and Bentancourt’s social media accounts turned into a battleground for Korean and Uruguayan comments, and the club finally made an official statement last month. On June 20, after the incident, Son Heung-min said, “I talked with Bentancourt. She admitted that she made a mistake and apologized. I didn’t mean to say anything insulting on purpose.”
According to The Athletic, Son Heung-min said Bentancur was in tears while apologizing to him. “I can’t go into details because I’m under investigation, but I love Bentancur,” he said in a press conference. “I’ll tell you again, I love him.”
Tottenham didn’t impose any disciplinary action on Bentancourt after the comment. However, unlike Tottenham, which blindsided itself to Aung, the FA is preparing to impose severe disciplinary action as announced. Pete Brook explained that Bentancourt is most likely to be suspended for a long period of time.
On September 12, the FA(플러스카지노) sent an official complaint to Bentancourt. Bentancourt denied the allegations and requested that the matter be dealt with only in writing. Eventually, the independent regulatory committee skipped the oral hearing and held a formal meeting on the 12th to review Bentancourt’s allegations and related documents he submitted.
Earlier, Bentancourt told Uruguay’s national team, “I was informed through the agency. I can’t tell you exactly, but I think it will be announced by the time I return to the club,” adding, “I think I’ll be out for a while. Still, I’ll have to go to see if I can.”
However, Bentancourt, who responded in writing without attending the committee, continued his rather absurd claim, giving a big shock. He claimed, “Son Heung-min’s racist remarks are an irony to sarcastically call a journalist.” In short, he said, “Koreans all look alike” to sarcastically call him “Koreans.”
After he apologized, the committee claimed that his claim was not racist but a misunderstanding. “The committee said Bentancourt’s claim is completely contrary to the evidence. It was insulting and inappropriate even considering both his evidence and position,” The Times said.
Due to the strange incident, the severity of the punishment has been lowered. The FA, which fined him £100,000 and suspended him seven games, said, “Bentancourt’s remarks are objectively insulting and not controversial. Looking at the context of the conversation alone, the conversation begins with a reporter referring to ‘Korean,’ which is a sad and inappropriate expression referring to Son. Nevertheless, he agreed through insulting words and laughter.”
Meanwhile, not only Tottenham clubs but also players have remained silent on Bentancourt’s racial discrimination. Meanwhile, Ben Davies was the first to mention Son’s best friend and vice-captain. Playing for the Wales national team, Son replied that Bentancourt’s racial discrimination and punishment were “a matter to be taken seriously.”
“We didn’t hear from each other until the morning. Maybe other people do the same,” Davis said. “We thought the Tottenham team handled the matter, but it led to external disciplinary action.” “We all remained silent about the incident, but we should take it seriously after all. We both have to protect each other while we have to protect each other.”