Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur. [AFP]
Rodrigo Bentancur, the Uruguayan midfielder playing for Tottenham Hotspur, has been slapped with a seven-match domestic suspension by the Football Association (FA) following a racial slur directed at his teammate, Son Heung-min.
The FA has also fined him £100,000 and mandated that he participate in a face-to-face education programme on discrimination.
The incident, which occurred during a TV appearance in Uruguay in June, prompted the FA to charge Bentancur in September. Although the 27-year-old midfielder denied the allegations, an independent regulatory commission found him guilty after a hearing.
A statement from the FA confirmed the ruling: "Rodrigo Bentancur denied this charge, but the independent regulatory commission found it to be proven and imposed his sanctions following a hearing."
As a result of the suspension, Bentancur will miss key Premier League fixtures, including matches against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea. He is also ruled out of the League Cup quarter-final clash against Manchester United. However, the suspension does not affect his eligibility for Tottenham’s Europa League matches.
Bentancur, who has made 15 appearances for Tottenham this season and scored his first goal in a recent loss to Ipswich, will be sidelined from domestic competitions until 26 December.