Tottenham captain Son Heung-min has expressed his “love” for teammate Rodrigo Bentancur, despite Bentancur allegedly making a racist comment about Son over the summer.
Bentancur, a Uruguay international, was charged by the Football Association (FA) for alleged misconduct after a clip from a Canal 10 interview surfaced in June. In the clip, Bentancur was asked to show a Spurs player’s shirt, to which he reportedly replied, “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too, as they all look the same.”
Bentancur quickly apologized for the remark. However, as the charge is considered an “aggravated breach,” Bentancur could face a suspension of six to twelve domestic matches if the FA charge is upheld by an independent regulatory panel.
Ahead of Tottenham’s Europa League match against Qarabag, Son addressed the situation: “Because of the FA process, I can’t say much about it right now. But I love Rodrigo. I love him. We’ve made a lot of great memories together since he joined [in January 2022]. He knew he made a mistake and apologized immediately. He sent me a heartfelt message during the holiday, and you could tell he was truly sorry.”
Son continued, “When we returned for pre-season, he apologized again—both publicly and privately—and he was really emotional, almost in tears. He’s deeply sorry. We’re all human and make mistakes, and we learn from them.”
As one of only two remaining players from Tottenham’s 2019 Champions League final squad, alongside Ben Davies, Son is determined to break the club’s 16-year trophy drought this season.
“Winning a trophy is a dream,” Son said. “That’s what we’re working toward. We’re focused on competing in major tournaments, which are always tough, with lots of games and travel. But we’re ready and committed to taking these competitions seriously.”
Son also touched on his contract situation, as he’s entered the final 12 months of his current deal. Tottenham have the option to extend his contract for another year and are expected to do so.
“We haven’t discussed anything yet,” Son said. “For me, it’s clear—I’m focused on this season. I want to win something for this club, for the players, and for everyone involved. That’s what I’m working for.”
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou also confirmed that the squad is in good shape, with no new injuries following their win over Brentford last weekend.
