Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur has started his seven-game suspension from the Manchester City fixture
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was handed a seven-match ban and £100,000 fine by the FA last week after being found guilty of “aggravated misconduct” for his comments on teammate Son Heung-min in June. The FA revealed that the player had initially denied this charge but the regulatory commission found that he had definitely breached the rules.
Spurs have accepted the FA’s guilty finding but have appealed against the length of his ban and hope to get it reduced to six matches. Head coach Ange Postecoglou has defended the club’s right to appeal for the midfielder’s lengthy ban.
The Uruguayan international has commenced his ban from last weekend, sitting out the club’s 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League. However, reputed GIVEMESPORT correspondent Ben Jacobs shared an optimistic update on Spurs’ appeal for Rodrigo Bentancur, citing that they will only be able to reduce his suspension by one game thanks to the Premier League’s rules.
“The minimum suspension for aggravated misconduct is six matches, so even if Spurs are successful, Rodrigo Bentancur will only have one-match from his seven-game ban taken off,” Ben Jacobs exclusively told GIVEMESPORT.
“Spurs are optimistic, and know several other clubs sympathise with the severity of the punishment. Spurs will argue Bentancur did not mean any offence in making the remarks, and instead that he was actually being sarcastic, replying in such a manner because he was offended himself and taken aback by the interviewer simply referring to Son as ‘the Korean’.”
After sitting out the Man City win, Bentancur—as per the suspension—will also miss Premier League games against Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool. He will also be banned for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 19.
The Uruguayan is poised to return against Nottingham Forest in the league on December 16. Should Tottenham win their appeal against the FA and the South American’s ban is reduced by one game, the 27-year-old will be available in the big home game against league leaders Liverpool on December 22.
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Bentancur will be out for a crunch part of the campaign. He has become a key member of Postecoglou’s side this season, starting seven of the club’s 12 games in the Premier League. While the Uruguayan’s absence was barely felt in the 4-0 rout of Man City, it may impact in the forthcoming games when the schedule becomes tighter.
Thus, the suspension getting reduced even for one game would be huge for Bentancur, Big Ange and Tottenham. Big Ange’s public backing of the Lilywhites’ appeal against the FA was a clear indication that he wants the ex-Juventus to become eligible for selection in domestic games as quickly as possible.
