“Why is Bentancourt punished and why isn’t Fernandez punished? FA inconsistent reason…”
Simon Jordan, former owner of Crystal Palace, has criticized the loophole of the FA. It is due to the recent Rodrigo Bentancourt case of Tottenham Hotspur, who was suspended for racist remarks against his captain Son Heung-min.
Jordan appeared on British media “Talk Sports” on the 18th (Korea Standard Time) and claimed that “Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea) did not receive the punishment (suspension of participation, fine) that made Bentancourt falter.”
Fernandez made the same ‘challenging remarks’ at Chelsea, but he passed with impunity due to jurisdiction rules, he pointed out.
Earlier on the same day, the FA announced that “Rodrigo Bentancur will be suspended for seven games and fined 100,000 pounds (about 176 million won).”
“He used inappropriate behavior and insults to bring his reputation down, and violated FA Regulation E3.1, which includes nationality, race and ethnic origin,” the FA said. “This constitutes an aggravated violation of FA Regulation E3.2. Bentancourt denied the allegations, but the committee imposed sanctions on Bentancourt after the hearing.”
Bentancourt caused a stir in June for racist remarks that shot Son Heung-min in an appearance on “For la Camisetta,” a broadcast program in his country’s Uruguay.
When the interviewer asked him to bring Son’s uniform, Bentancourt replied, “I could bring Sonny’s (Son Heung-min’s) cousin. They all look the same anyway.”
바로벳 were enraged by the racist remarks that claimed that “Oriental people all look the same.” Fans who flocked to Tottenham Hotspur and Bentancourt’s SNS called for an apology and a disciplinary action. Bentancourt wrote an apology at the time, but it was posted as a “story” that disappeared after only 24 hours. Worse yet, Son’s nickname, “SONNY,” was spelled “SONY,” sparking controversy over his sincerity.
Son Heung-min, who had been quiet, directly posted a message on social media saying he would forgive Bentancourt, but the controversy did not subside easily.
Jordan was informed of Bentancourt’s suspension and gave the example of Fernandes.
After winning the 2024 Copa America championship, Fernandez posted a video of himself singing with Argentina’s teammates on a bus. The song is meant to discriminate against the French national team players. “The French players are all from Angola. They have a Nigerian mother and a Cameroonian father,” the lyrics say. It is clearly a disparaging story for black people, and he did not hesitate to sexually harass Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) of the French national team.
The aftermath was very intense. Fernandez apologized late, but did not stop his falling reputation.
Apart from that, however, the FA did not impose any punishment. The problem is that it is up to the jurisdiction. It is said that it is up to the jurisdiction of FIFA as Fernandez participated in an international match. Therefore, even if the issue is reviewed and disciplinary action is taken retroactively, it only applies to international matches and not to Chelsea.
Jordan said in response, “The FA’s approach to this has become inconsistent because it could not impose sanctions on Fernandez,” adding, “Fernandez also plays in the FA’s Premier League, but he is out of Chelsea’s jurisdiction for a while.”
Bentancourt, who was disciplined separately, will not be able to play any important games until just before the so-called Boxing Day (December 26). This is why fans are increasingly criticized. Including the match against Manchester City on the 24th and the match against Liverpool on December 22, all will be excluded.