“It’s Son Heung-min, and we’ll respect his wishes.”
Tottenham Hotspur (England) manager Ange Postecoglou has spoken out for the first time about the racism incident against Son Heung-min.
According to a report by Football London, Postecoglou was asked about midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who was involved in a racist incident during his press conference after Spurs’ preseason friendly on Sept. 19.
Bentancur, a Uruguayan, sparked controversy last month when he made comments about Son Heung-min during an appearance on a local television program.
When asked by the host to “get Son Heung-min’s jersey,” Bentancur replied, “He wouldn’t know if I brought him his cousin’s jersey. He looks exactly the same as Son Heung-min and his cousin,” he said.
“Bentancur’s comments are already being dealt with by the club,” Postecoglou said, adding, ”It’s Son Heung-min, and we will follow his wishes.”
“I’m sure there will be further action (against Bentancur),” he said, ”but I think it’s better to let the most important party handle it, rather than everyone jumping in and making judgments right away.”
Son Heung-min has already made his intentions known.
He wrote on social media (SNS) on March 20, “Bentancur made a mistake. Bentancur, who realized his mistake, apologized to me,” he wrote on social media on March 20.
“We will get together again in the upcoming pre-season and fight as a ‘one team’,” he vowed. Son did not seem to want Bentancur to be disciplined.
Tottenham announced on their official social media that they would be conducting anti-discrimination training for the entire squad, including Bentancur. The club has not yet issued its own disciplinary action against Bentancur.
There were local reports that the English Football Association (FA) was aware of the incident and had launched an investigation, but the FA has not commented for nearly a month.
The press conference also included a question about Bentancur throwing a water bottle into the stands after the Copa America 2024 semifinal.
“I am not aware of what happened at the Copa America,” Postecoglou said.
Uruguay lost 0-1 to Colombia in the semifinals of the Copa America, which concluded this month.
In the heated post-match atmosphere, Uruguayan forward Darwin Núñez climbed into the stands and got into a fistfight with Colombian fans, during which Bentancur threw two water bottles into the crowd.
A Uruguayan staff member who climbed into the stands to confront Núñez was hit in the forehead by a bottle thrown by Núñez, causing him to bleed. 파워볼게임