Bentancur still has two games of his ban left to serve and will now miss the League Cup quarter-final against Manchester United and the Premier League game against Liverpool.
Tottenham had hoped that Bentancur’s ban might be reduced by one game, but a Football Association statement said: “An independent appeal board has dismissed an appeal by Rodrigo Bentancur in relation to his recent suspension.
“This appeal was dismissed following a hearing, and the seven-match suspension remains as ordered by the regulatory commission.”
Telegraph Sport revealed that the severity of the ban and the process behind the decision shocked rivals of Spurs, who they felt were made an example of. The FA introduced a minimum six-game ban for racist abuse five years ago, but Bentancur was handed an extra match after it was deemed that his comments constituted an “aggravated breach”.
Bentancur was banned for seven games and fined £100,000 for suggesting in a YouTube interview in Uruguay that Son was indistinguishable in looks from other South Koreans. Bentancur was being interviewed during a tour of his home when Uruguayan journalist Rafa Cotelo asked: “Well, what about the Korean’s shirt?”
After questioning whether the journalist was asking about “Sonny”, Bentancur then added: “Or one of Sonny’s cousins as they all look more or less the same.”
Following charges in September, a panel found that he had shown “genuine remorse” but he should have “foreseen substantial publicity” in making the abusive joke.
It was further found proven that his comments constituted an “aggravated breach”, as they included a reference to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.
There is a belief that Tottenham and Bentancur were made an example of and that the player’s own apology, together with the backing of Son, was used against him.
In the written reasons for Bentancur’s ban, it was stated that: “His first apology, drafted without consultation with THFC or any other adviser and posted the day after the film had been brought to his attention, explained it as “just a very bad joke” (although in his statement, he said that “sarcastic” would have been a better word than “joke”). That suggests that the player himself realised what he had said was offensive, and was anxious to correct it as soon as possible. His second apology equally appears to have acknowledged that his remarks had been objectively offensive, which is why he apologised for offence caused.”
It then added: “In these apologies (particularly the first), the player appears to realise and accept that his remarks were objectively insulting and/or abusive and this offensive, and apologise for the offence he has caused to Son Heung-min and those who share his characteristics of nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.”