Rodrigo Bentancur was today banned for seven games by the Football Association for comments he made about Tottenham team-mate and South Korea captain Son Heung-min.
Bentancur, who was also fined £100,000, will miss six Premier League games and the EFL Cup quarter-final against Manchester United and will not feature again in the league for Spurs until Boxing Day.
However, he can play in the Europa League.
So why has Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandes received no response from the FA despite claims he engaged in similar behavior while with the Argentina national team, even as he has been sanctioned?
Lawsuit against Bentancur
The Uruguayan midfielder was sent to the FA for a serious breach of FA Regulation E3.2 by using abusive and/or offensive words while explicitly or implicitly referring to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin. was found guilty by
He appeared on the TV show Pro La Camiseta in his home country last June. Presenter Rafa Cotelo asked for a Spurs player’s shirt and Bentancur responded: “Sonny’s? They could all be Sonny’s cousins because they all look the same.”
Bentancur immediately expressed remorse for his comments but denied the FA’s allegations.
The independent regulatory commission has banned Rodrigo Bentancur for seven matches and fined him £100,000 for breaching FA regulation E3 in relation to media interviews.
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— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) November 18, 2024
The case against Fernandez
Fernandez posted the song on social media shortly after Argentina’s Copa America final win over Colombia on June 14.
The video shows Argentine players repeating chants questioning the heritage of France’s black and mixed-race players.
Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana described the video as “unbridled racism” and it was reported that the club’s other French players were equally upset.
Chelsea decided not to take disciplinary action against Fernandes after he issued a face-to-face apology to his team-mates.
So why was Bentancur banned and Enzo Fernandez not?
Simply put, it falls under jurisdiction.
Since Fernandes’ indiscretions occurred while he was in the Copa America, it is up to FIFA and/or CONMEBOL to sanction Argentina.
If you are disciplined, it only applies to international matches.
Bentancur conducted the interview with Cotelo on his own time, so it falls within the Premier League’s jurisdiction to take action.
FIFA said in July that it was investigating Fernandes’ video, but there has been no update since.
