London, Sep 12 : Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged by the Football Association (FA) for using a racial slur in reference to his teammate, Son Heung-min.

The incident, which occurred during a television interview in Bentancur's native Uruguay in June, has drawn significant attention and criticism.

During the interview, Bentancur was asked by the presenter if he could provide a Tottenham shirt. In response, Bentancur replied, "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too, as they all look the same." The comment, directed at South Korean international Son Heung-min, was widely condemned for perpetuating racial stereotypes about East Asians.

Following backlash, Bentancur issued an apology on Instagram, admitting that his remarks were a "very bad joke." He expressed regret for the hurt his words caused, acknowledging the inappropriateness of the comment. "I know this was wrong and I am deeply sorry," Bentancur said in his apology.

The FA has since charged the 27-year-old Uruguay international for violating FA rule E3, which covers misconduct in relation to media interviews. The governing body said Bentancur's words constituted an "aggravated breach" of the rule, given the racial and ethnic connotations of his comments. The FA also noted that acts of discrimination by players can result in match-based sanctions ranging from six to twelve games.

A statement from the FA confirmed that Bentancur had until Thursday, September 19, to respond to the charge. The incident, which drew the attention of anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out, has been described as part of a broader issue affecting East Asian and other marginalized communities.

Kick It Out reported receiving a "significant number" of complaints following Bentancur's remarks

Despite the controversy, Son Heung-min has accepted Bentancur's apology, indicating that the pair have reconciled and are ready to move forward.

Speaking in June, Son said, "I've spoken to Lolo. He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologised. Lolo would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all."

Son added that the two players were united in their commitment to Tottenham and would continue to work together for the upcoming season. "We're past this, we're united, and we will be back together in pre-season to fight for our club as one," Son affirmed.

/IANS