Rodrigo Bentacur Banned For 7 Matches: Justified Or Farce?
In today’s age, it is a complicated issue. Two teammates can’t even banter with each other because you never know which third party will become upset with a conversation that does not even concern them. That is precisely what happened with Bentacur, and now both the club and the player have to face the consequences of a throwaway line that Heung-min Son accepted was just a mistake.
What exactly happened?
In an interview in Uruguay, Rodrigo Bentacur was asked about Son, and he casually replied, “All Koreans look alike.” It wasn’t the smartest statement, but it wasn’t something to pounce on and make a controversy out of it, especially when Bentacur had already relayed his apologies to his teammate, and Son accepted the apology.
It was a casual interview in Bentacur’s home country. Everything was formal and normal until it wasn’t. What needs to be said, though, is that players need to be careful in what they say nowadays because cameras are following them 24/7, and every word they speak will be picked up.
The Ban…
The FA picked up on what Bentacur said about Son and banned him for seven domestic games. Bentacur will still be able to play for Spurs in their Europa League games, as the ban only applies to the domestic games—League and Cup.
Bentacur, who has already played 15 times for the Spurs this season, will be a sore miss, especially since he has been one of the better players this season. Ange, who is already feeling the heat from the board and fans, will be devastated by this cruel blow. It is a season that isn’t getting easier for the Australian.
Why didn’t Enzo Fernández get banned?
Rodrigo Bentacur gave an interview in his own time, so FA was free to investigate the incident as it was a solitary issue. Enzo Fernández, on the other hand, was seen and heard chanting “racially and discriminatory” songs aimed at the French while he was away on International duty.
At the time of this writing, FIFA is still investigating that matter. As it was an incident that happened during the international break, it fell within FIFA’s jurisdiction. Bentacur’s interview is viewed more as a private thing; hence, the FA got involved and immediately banned him for his comments.
In conclusion, the Bentacur ban seems over the top, considering there was a bit of jostling between teammates. Granted, the comments shouldn’t have been made, but Heung-min Son accepted his teammate’s apology and was done with it. The FA has invited a lot of debates and controversy to this subject by producing a lengthy ban. Is it right? Is it wrong? Well, it is subjective.