Comparing Rodrigo Bentancur Case vs Enzo Fernandez As Spurs Star Gets Lengthy Ban
- Rodrigo Bentancur has been hit with a seven-match ban after he was found guilty of using a racial comment
- The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder's comments about his teammate Heung-min Son have landed him in trouble
- The ban comes at a time when Enzo Fernandez's controversial chants about France's players remain unpunished to date
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Rodrigo Bentancur has become the latest footballer to be banned after he used a racial slur in a media interview.
The Football Association (FA) hit the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder with a seven-match ban and a £100,000 fine.
Source: Getty Images
What did Rodrigo Bentancur do?
Bentancur was accused of using a racial term to address his club teammate and captain, Heung-min Son, during a TV interview in his native country of Uruguay. The 27-year-old was asked to provide a shirt of his teammates, to which he replied,
"Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin, too, as they all look the same."
His quick apology afterwards did not prevent the FA from picking up and investigating the case. He was found to have breached FA Rule E3, which prevents players from acting in an improper manner and/or using abusive and/or insulting words and/or bringing the game into disrepute.
Enzo Fernandez's racism case
His comments came a few weeks before Enzo Fernandez went live on Instagram and allegedly led his Argentina teammates in using racial and homophobic comments against Kylian Mbappe and other French players.
His Chelsea teammate Wesley Fofana called him out on social media, blasting his 'uninhibited racism.' The controversial comments threatened to derail Enzo Maresca's start to his Stamford Bridge reign, but Fernandez owned up and apologised to his teammates immediately, as reported by the Guardian.
Chelsea instituted disciplinary proceedings against their £106.8m man but took no further action.
Why Bentancur has been banned yet Fernandez wasn't
So, why was Bentancur, who also issued an apology, banned while Fernandez was 'let go easy'?
For starters, Fernandez isn't out of the woods yet - the case is still under investigation, but we will circle back to that.
The two cases involve jurisdiction. Bentancur might have been away in Uruguay, but he made the comments during his free time, so he fell under the FA since he plays in England.
Fernandez's comments meanwhile came after Argentina had won the Copa America which meant he was under CONMEBOL and FIFA by extension.
Will Enzo Fernandez be punished?
FIFA released a statement acknowledging the comments, and at the time of writing, the matter was still under investigation. Given that it happened while he was away on international duty, should Fernandez be banned, it is highly likely it would only apply to Argentina games.
Which games will Rodrigo Bentancur miss?
His fellow South American isn't as lucky. Bentancur's seven games will start this weekend when Spurs play City, and he won't be available until after Christmas. He will miss important games against City, Liverpool, Chelsea and the Carabao Cup quarter-final match against Manchester United.
He will, however, be available for selection in the Europa League.
Cause of death of footballer found in swimming pool
Legit.ng has also previously reported on the cause of death of George Baldock.
The former Sheffield United midfielder was found lifeless in his swimming pool after his wife had sounded an alarm.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
