The English FA have charged Rodrigo Bentancur for alleged racist remarks made in an interview about his Tottenham Hotspur teammate, Son Heung-min, Soccernet.football reports.
The Uruguay international sparked controversy with his comment, “they all look the same,” when asked to distinguish between Son and his cousin in a video recorded during the summer.
Bentancur later posted a remorseful apology to Son on social media. However, he is now being charged with misconduct by the FA and faces the possibility of a ban.
“Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged with an alleged breach of FA Rule E3 for misconduct in relation to a media interview,” a statement from the FA read.
“It’s alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.
“It’s further alleged that this constitutes an ‘aggravated breach’ which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference, whether express or implied, to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.
“Rodrigo Bentancur has until Thursday 19 September 2024 to provide a response to this charge.”
Bentancur remains eligible to play for Tottenham until that date, making him available for Sunday’s north London derby against Arsenal.
Potential consequences for his actions could range from attending an educational program to receiving a suspension.
Spurs released a statement shortly after the incident, featuring remarks from Son. The South Korean emphasized that he had spoken with Bentancur and insisted his teammate would never intentionally make an offensive comment.
“I’ve spoken with Lolo [Bentancur]. He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologised,” Son said in June.
“Lolo would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all.
“We’re past this, we’re united and we will be back together in pre-season to fight for our club as one.”