Even his earlier apologies have no choice but to doubt his sincerity. Rodrigo Bentancourt (27) made absurd excuses for making racist remarks against Son Heung-min (32, Tottenham Hotspur).
“Tottenham appealed Bentancur’s harsh ban on him. He was banned from seven games in Korea for racist slurs against his teammate Son Heung-min,” the BBC reported on the 21st (Korea Standard Time). 안전놀이터
The British Football Association (FA) announced Bentancourt’s disciplinary action on the 18th. The FA said, “The independent regulatory committee has suspended Bentancourt for seven games and fined her 100,000 pounds (about 176 million won) for violating FA regulations E3 related to media interviews.” It also ordered her to participate in face-to-face education programs.
Tottenham accepted the conviction issued by the independent regulatory committee. However, the team appealed complaining during the disciplinary period. The seven-game ban is too much. Some say Tottenham and Bentancourt were severely punished as examples.
Tottenham said on its website, “We acknowledge Bentancourt’s conviction. However, we believe the resulting sanctions are harsh. Bentancourt will remain banned from domestic matches while the appeal is in progress. We will not comment further during this period.”
However, Bentancourt brought it upon herself. She appeared on the Uruguayan TV program “For La Camisetta” in June and was asked by the host to wear a uniform for Korean players. Then, Bentancourt asked, “Son?” (Son Heung-min’s nickname) and laughed, saying, “It could be his cousin’s uniform. They all look exactly the same.” The host also reciprocated and laughed together.
A clear racist remark that meant Asians all looked alike. The controversy spread quickly. Then Bentancourt posted an apology on social media, saying, “Sonny my brother! I apologize for what happened. That was a really bad joke. I love you so much, and I want you to know that I will never ignore or hurt you or anyone! I love you brother.”
Despite his dubious apology for being a “bad joke,” Son forgave Bentancur. He said, “I talked to Bentancur. He made a mistake, and he knows that. He also apologized. It was not his intention to say something insulting on purpose. We are brothers, nothing has changed. This incident united us.”
As public criticism did not subside, Bentancourt also posted a second apology. However, she was quick to explain with words such as “The interview where he mentioned Son Heung-min, not anyone else,” and “He understood logically that this was just an unfortunate misunderstanding given our deep friendship. It’s all settled,” and “I never mentioned anyone else. It was just Son Heung-min.”
Bentancourt also reportedly made absurd excuses in the FA investigation. According to the BBC, it was a sarcastic and gentle rebuke to a reporter who called Son a ‘Korean’ on behalf of Bentancourt. Bentancourt doesn’t think that all Koreans look ‘somewhat the same.’ The context of the conversation clearly shows that Bentancourt is being sarcastic. She submitted a reply saying that she challenged the reporter in her explanation of her teammate at the club.
Bentancur even denied that his public apology to Son was an apology for his remarks. He did not mean that he regretted his racist remarks, but that he made an apology for inappropriate reporting excluding the fact that a reporter mentioned Son as a Korean. He seems to deny even the apology he posted in person.
Naturally, the panel rejected any of Bentancourt’s excuses. “In the full context, what she said was clearly violent, insulting and illegal,” the panel said. “She appears to have accepted that her apology was objectively offensive, abusive and discriminatory.”
In addition, the panel said that Bentancourt’s answer is contrary to the evidence, adding, “The player’s apology or form does not match Tottenham and Son Heung-min’s answer. I cannot accept Bentancourt’s opinion.” At the same time, he added, “This violation of Bentancourt is at the bottom of the guideline range, but not to the lowest point.”
Kick It Out, an anti-discrimination organization in sports, applauded Bentancur’s news of his disciplinary action. Kick It Out said, “We welcome Bentancur’s decision to be held accountable for his use of racial insults. We received many reports about the incident at the time. This underscores the fact that abuse directed at East and Southeast Asian athletes affects not only the individuals involved, but also the fans of the wider community.”
Currently, Bentancourt is banned from playing in seven matches until the match against Nottingham Forest on December 27. She can play in UEFA Europa League (UEL). However, she will miss league matches with Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, and the quarterfinals at the Carabao Cup with Manchester United.
It is a serious blow to Tottenham, which has few reliable central midfielders. If Bentancourt is absent ahead of the Boxing Day, which has a tight schedule, it will be a big blow. Moreover, Bentancourt has recently jumped to the starting lineup at a time when Yves Bissouma has been sluggish. Manager Engie Postecoglou has no choice but to have a headache.
However, Bentancourt can never complain. The first thing to do is to truly realize his fault and cancel his absurd excuses. “Tottenham should play without Bentancourt. He will not be able to attend important matches such as the match against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool. It may not be a convenient outcome. However, it is a result that we cannot complain about.”
