King expects Tottenham player to be frustrated after 'Ridiculous' development today

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur is expected to be frustrated after learning the outcome of the appeal against his seven-match suspension.

Bentancur was handed a seven-match ban by the Football Association for suggesting South Korean team-mate Son Heung-min and his cousins “all look the same” during an interview broadcast in Uruguay last June (via the Standard, 12 September).

It was confirmed via Spurs’ official website on Wednesday 20 November that the club had appealed against the severity of the punishment, a decision which is expected to have cost “many thousands”.

However, as reported by Sky Sports News on Tuesday [17 December], this appeal has been dismissed, which means Bentancur remains unavailable for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United on Thursday [19 December] and the Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday [22 December], which will both take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

And ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes the punishment to be unjust.

“Not only will Ange Postecoglou be feeling frustrated, but the player will be too,” King said.

“I don’t understand why Bentancur should have to miss seven games of football when he apologised, and the person in question [Son] has accepted that apology and moved on.

“However, it seems as though the FA disagree, which is ridiculous. Bentancur made this statement, which was a mistake, but I can’t understand why the punishment has to be this severe when all parties had moved on from the situation.”

Rodrigo Bentancur unavailable for Tottenham against Manchester United and Liverpool

There is no doubt that Bentancur made a mistake and should be punished for that mistake. However, it is understandable why King feels as though the punishment is particularly harsh, and the ex-Spurs scout is not alone in that opinion.

As previously reported by the Telegraph [18 November], Spurs’ Premier League rivals were shocked by the severity of Bentancur’s punishment and the inconsistencies around it.

Therefore, Postecoglou and Spurs might have had some fresh hope around the ban being reduced to six matches at least, which would have seen the 27-year-old return against Liverpool.

However, that is not to be the case, which means Postecoglou must continue to manage his squad, which is already thin as it is due to an injury crisis that could lead to some behind-the-scenes dismissals, without Bentancur.

In other Tottenham news, the club are readying a surprise transfer with an approach mooted.

For more Tottenham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.

The post King expects Tottenham player to be frustrated after 'Ridiculous' development today appeared first on Tottenham Hotspur News.