Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur banned for SEVEN GAMES for 'racial slur' against his team-mate Son Heung-min

Bentancur accused of 'using abusive and insulting words' towards Son during a Premier League game

Uruguayan midfielder will now miss crucial matches against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been banned for seven matches by the Football Association (FA) for using abusive and insulting words towards his team-mate Son Heung-min during a Premier League game. The incident occurred during Tottenham's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on 15 January, with Bentancur allegedly making a racial slur towards Son. The FA charged Bentancur with a breach of FA Rule E3, which prohibits "using abusive and/or insulting words towards a participant". After considering the evidence, the FA found Bentancur guilty of the charge and imposed a seven-match ban. The ban will begin with immediate effect, meaning Bentancur will miss crucial matches against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea. Tottenham have confirmed that they will not appeal the ban. Bentancur has since apologised for his actions, saying that he "deeply regrets" what he said. "I am deeply sorry for the offence I have caused to Son and to everyone else who has been affected by my actions," Bentancur said in a statement. "I take full responsibility for my words and I understand that they were unacceptable. I am committed to learning from this experience and to making sure that it never happens again." The FA's decision has been welcomed by anti-racism campaigners. Kick It Out, a leading anti-racism organisation in football, said that the ban "sends a clear message that racism will not be tolerated in our game". "We hope that this ban will serve as a deterrent to others and that it will help to create a more inclusive environment in football," Kick It Out said in a statement. Tottenham manager Antonio Conte said that he was "disappointed" by Bentancur's actions. "I am disappointed that Rodrigo has been banned for seven matches," Conte said. "He is a good player and we will miss him, but I understand that the FA had to take action." "We will support Rodrigo during his ban and we will work with him to make sure that he learns from this experience."