Heung-min Son admits Rodrigo Bentancur “made a mistake” but knows his Tottenham teammate meant no harm when he made “a very bad joke” that actually sounded racist.
Bentancur apologized to the South Korea international and Tottenham Captain for the “joke” he made on Uruguayan television.
The host of the Channel 10 program had asked Bentancur for a Spurs player’s shirt, to which he responded: “Sonny’s? He could also be Sonny’s cousin since they all look the same.”
Bentancur quickly wrote an apology on Instagram after the clip went viral on social media. He said, “Son brother! I apologize for what happened, it was simply a joke in very bad taste!
“You know I love you and I would never disrespect or hurt you or anyone else! I love you brother!”
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Despite this, anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said the organization had received a “significant number” of reports.
A statement from the charity said: “Kick It Out has received a significant number of reports regarding Rodrigo Bentancur’s comments about his Tottenham teammate Son Heung-min. These reports have already been sent to the club and relevant authorities.
“We recognize that Bentancur has acknowledged the offense caused, however it highlights a wider issue largely affecting East Asia and wider communities.
“We will look to address these broader issues in the coming season.”
Both Tottenham and Son released statements on Thursday morning, with the latter confirming that he had spoken to Bentancur, who “never intentionally wanted to say anything offensive.”
“I have spoken with Rodrigo Bentancur,” said the Spurs captain. “He made a mistake, he knows it and he apologized.
“Lolo never intentionally wanted to say anything offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all.
“We have already overcome this, we are united and we will be together again in the preseason to fight for our club as one.”
Spurs said in a statement: “Following a comment by Rodrigo Bentancur in a video clip of an interview and the player’s subsequent public apology, the Club has been providing assistance to ensure a positive outcome in the matter. This will include increased education for all stakeholders in line with our diversity, equality and inclusion goals.
“We fully support that our captain Sonny feels he can put an end to the incident and that the team can focus on the new season ahead.
“We are extremely proud of our diverse global fan base and gaming teams. Discrimination of any kind has no place in our Club, within our game or in society in general.”
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