Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou says Rodrigo Bentancur made a mistake and must learn from it over his racist remarks towards Son Heung-min.
The Football Association (FA) has charged Rodrigo Bentancur with misconduct over a racially abusive remark towards South Korean team-mate Son Heung-min in June.
The Uruguay international appeared on a TV show in his homeland and the host asked for a Spurs shirt, to which Bentancur replied: “Sonny’s shirt? Maybe get one from his relatives, they all look the same.”
The FA has given Bentancur until Thursday, September 19, to answer or deny the charges, and if found guilty, he could face a fine or even a ban.
Ange said of the matter: “We have to let the FA process take its course. Rodrigo is aware of the consequences of the decision. We will wait and see what the outcome is.”
“Sonny and Rodrigo have spoken about what happened. The players understand and respect each other’s position. Rodrigo has apologised for what he said and Sonny has accepted the apology, and acknowledged that one of his teammates and close friends made a mistake.”
“As humans, we try to do the right thing all the time, but it doesn’t always work out that way. We all make mistakes. I’ve said it before. To me, it’s not just a punishment, it’s an opportunity for people to make amends and learn.”
“We understand that even though he’s a great guy and a great teammate, he made a huge mistake this time and he has to face punishment. Promotion Ufabet but we’ve given him the opportunity to learn and hopefully others can learn from this as well.”
Bentancur could start after Yves Bissouma picked up a groin injury while travelling to Mali.