TOTTENHAM midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur could face up to 12 games on the sidelines following his FA charge.
The 27-year-old was charged by the FA this week over recent comments about Spurs team-mate Heung-min Son.
AlamyRodrigo Bentancur could miss up to 12 games[/caption]
An official statement read: “Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged with an alleged breach of FA Rule E3 for misconduct in relation to a media interview.
“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.”
Bentancur has until September 19 to respond to the charge.
And Football.London claims he could be banned for six to 12 games.
If he pleads guilty, the midfielder will likely receive a minimum ban of six games as per FA rules.
The worst punishment he could be given is a 12-match ban.
However, in similar cases this has been reduced.
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Matches Rodrigo Bentancur could miss
RODRIGO BENTANCUR has until next Thursday to respond to the FA charge.
Here is a list of the games he could potentially miss if he receives a maximum ban:
Brentford (h)
Man Utd (a)
Brighton (a)
West Ham (h)
Crystal Palace (a)
(Carabao Cup 4th round)
Aston Villa (h)
Ipswich (h)
Man City (a)
Fulham (h)
Bournemouth (a)
Chelsea (h)
Southampton (a)
Edinson Cavani and Bernardo Silva have both been charged with a similar rule breach in the past, but Cavani was handed a three-game ban and Silva’s suspension was limited to just one match.
Back in June, Bentancur suggested that all South Korean people “look the same” during a Uruguayan TV interview.
A reporter asked: “Can you get me the shirt from the Korean?” to which Bentancur replied: “Sonny?”
The journalist then went on to say: “Or any other champion,” before the midfielder responded: “Or any cousin of Sonny, they all look more or less the same.”
He subsequently apologised to Spurs team-mate Son and issued a statement on social media, claiming it was a “very bad” joke.
Son was quick to accept his apology and insisted his team-mate just made a mistake.
Bentancur is now at risk of missing important games against Manchester United, West Ham, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea.
But he WILL be able to face Arsenal in the North London Derby this weekend.
While Bentancur has been charged by the FA, it is understood Enzo Fernandez will not face a similar charge as his actions took place while at a Fifa tournament and it will be left to Fifa to decide whether to punish him.
The Chelsea man streamed a video of himself and his Argentina team-mates singing a racist and homophobic chant about France‘s black players after the Copa Americal final.
He later issued a public apology and apologised privately to his Blues team-mates on his return to pre-season training.
Changes to the Premier League for 2024/25
NOTHING stays the same forever.
And that includes the Premier League, which is making a number of tweaks this season.
Team news will now be released 75 MINUTES before kick-off, 15 minutes earlier than had been the case before.
Things could get crowded on the touchline, with the number of substitutes permitted to warm-up boosted from three players per team to FIVE.
There’s also a change to how added time is calculated when a team scores a goal, an update to the ‘multiball’ system and the introduction of semi-automated offsides – but not straight away.
Go here to read about all the changes to the Premier League for 2024/25.