The Uruguayan midfielder, Rodrigo Bentancur, made a remark stating that “they all look the same” when discussing his teammate Heung-min Son. This comment has since led to an apology from Bentancur.
Bentancur took to Instagram to address the situation, writing, “Sonny brother, I apologise to you for what happened, it was just a very bad joke. You know I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you, brother!”
In response, Son acknowledged the apology on social media, saying, “I’ve spoken with Lolo. He made a mistake, he knows this and apologised. Lolo would not mean to ever say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all. We’re past this, we’re united, and we will be back together in pre-season to fight for our club as one.”
The comments were made by Bentancur during an appearance on the Canal 10 show “Por La Camiseta” ahead of the Copa America.
In response to the players’ exchanges on social media, Tottenham Hotspur issued a statement: “Following a comment from Rodrigo Bentancur in an interview video clip and the player’s subsequent public apology, the club has been providing assistance in ensuring a positive outcome on the matter. This will include further education for all players in line with our diversity, equality, and inclusion objectives. We fully support that our captain Sonny feels that he can draw a line under the incident and that the team can focus on the new season ahead. We are extremely proud of our diverse, global fanbase and playing squads. Discrimination of any kind has no place at our Club, within our game, or within wider society.”
Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out also commented on the situation: “Kick It Out has received a significant number of reports about Rodrigo Bentancur’s comments. These reports have already been sent to the club and relevant authorities. It highlights a wider issue that heavily affects East Asian and wider communities. We’ll be seeking to address these broader issues in the coming season.”
