LONDON: Son Heung-min said Tottenham team-mate Rodrigo Bentancur “almost cried” when he apologized over an alleged racist remark about the South Korean.
Bentancur was charged by the Football Association earlier this month with an alleged misconduct breach in relation to a media interview on Uruguayan TV.
The former Juventus midfielder had been asked in June by the host of the Canal 10 show for a Spurs player’s shirt, to which he replied: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.”
Bentancur apologized to Tottenham captain Son, who said his team-mate had “made a mistake.”
But because the wording of the charge refers to an “aggravated breach,” he could reportedly be banned for six to 12 domestic matches.
Son, speaking ahead of Thursday’s Europa League home tie against Qarabag, said he could not say much at the moment because of the “FA process.”
“But I love Rodrigo, I love him. We’ve a lot of good memories, we started playing together when he joined (in January 2022),” he said.
“He knew. He apologized straight afterwards when we had holiday. I was at home. I didn’t even realize what was going on. He sent me a long message and you could feel it was coming from his heart.
“When we came back for pre-season, he felt really sorry and he almost cried when he apologized publicly and personally as well. He felt like he was really sorry. We are all human and all make mistakes and we learn from it.”
Son is one of only two players, along with Ben Davies, left at Tottenham from the squad that reached the Champions League final in 2019.
Defeat in Madrid to Liverpool extended the club’s trophy drought and it now stands at 16 years, but the South Korean forward is determined to end the wait for silverware this season.
“Yeah, it’s a dream. There is no hiding this. That’s what we work for,” Son said.
“Obviously, we are looking for another big competition that everybody wants to win. It’s going to be tough, a tough competition, a lot of games and a lot of traveling, which makes it even harder.”
Son says Spurs team-mate Bentancur ‘almost cried’ over alleged racial slur
https://arab.news/4ryht
Son says Spurs team-mate Bentancur ‘almost cried’ over alleged racial slur
- Bentancur was charged by the Football Association earlier this month with an alleged misconduct breach in relation to a media interview on Uruguayan TV
- Bentancur apologized to Tottenham captain Son, who said his team-mate had “made a mistake“
Dubai Basketball marks Ramadan opener with win and 3,055 eels donated to UAE Food Bank
- The ‘Basket for Basket’ initiative took place during the team’s 96-85 EuroLeague victory over LDLC ASVEL
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball won their EuroLeague round 29 game against LDLC ASVEL here on Thursday and celebrated by pledging 3,055 meals to families in need across the UAE.
The 96-85 win marked the club’s first game of Ramadan. Through the “Basket for Basket” initiative, every point scored by Dubai Basketball counted as a meal donated, with every ticket purchased adding to the total.
By the final buzzer, 3,055 meals had been secured in partnership with the UAE Food Bank to be distributed throughout the month of Ramadan.
Dubai Basketball Head Coach Jurica Golemac said after the game: “Thank you to the fans. It wasn’t an easy game to play, but we approached it with the right level of seriousness.
“We stayed disciplined, extended our lead step by step, defended well, and maintained our focus. I’m also very happy to say that during the holy month of Ramadan, we were able to donate more than 3,000 meals tonight.”
Co-CEO Dejan Kamenjasevic said: “To open this month with a win is special, but to do it while supporting thousands of families across the UAE is what truly matters.
“Basketball brought everyone together tonight, our players, our fans, our partners, together we created something meaningful.
“This is exactly what Dubai Basketball stands for: competing at the highest level, proudly representing this city while never losing sight of our responsibility to the community.”
The team delivered a strong collective performance at home. Mfiondu Kabengele set the tone early with a dominant scoring display, while Dwayne Bacon and McKinley Wright provided balance and control to secure the result.
