"While we acknowledge the independent regulatory commission's finding of guilt against Rodrigo, we believe the imposed sanction is excessive," Tottenham stated on Wednesday.
During the appeal process, Bentancur will remain suspended from domestic competitions, which means he will miss six Premier League matches and a quarterfinal in the English League Cup against Manchester United. However, the ban does not extend to European competitions, allowing him to participate in the Europa League.
In June, during an appearance on a Uruguayan television program, Bentancur was asked for a jersey from a Tottenham player and responded, "Sonny's?" He further commented that it could also be Son's cousin, suggesting that "more or less they are all the same."
Bentancur later expressed his regret to Son via Instagram, describing his comment as a "very bad joke" and assuring him that he would "never disrespect you or hurt you." Son accepted the apology.
The independent commission's decision revealed that Bentancur claimed his remarks were intended as sarcasm and a light-hearted critique of the journalist who referred to Son as "The Korean," challenging the reporter's characterization of his teammate.
Despite this, the regulatory commission concluded that "even considering the player's evidence and submissions, we find that the player's conduct in using those words, within the full context, was clearly abusive and insulting, constituting misconduct."
The commission also noted that it took into account Bentancur's lack of intent to offend Son or anyone else. Additionally, Bentancur was fined £100,000 ($126,000) by the commission.