Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur issued an apology to his teammate Son Heung-min following backlash over a video where he joked that all South Korean people look alike.
The incident occurred during a segment on a Uruguayan television show, where Bentancur made light of the possibility of receiving Son’s jersey, suggesting he could mistake Son for his cousin due to their resemblance.
After facing criticism for his remarks, Bentancur publicly apologized to Son via Instagram.
‘Sonny brother! I apologise to you for what happened, it was just a very bad joke
‘You know I love you and I would never disrespect you or hurt you or anyone else! I love you, brother!’, He wrote on his Instagram stories on Friday.
Son has yet to respond publicly to the apology. The two have been teammates since Bentancur joined Tottenham from Juventus in early 2022.
This controversy comes in the wake of previous racial incidents involving Son.
Last year, a fan received a three-year stadium ban for racially abusing Son with gestures during a match against Crystal Palace.
Additionally, incidents of racial gestures towards Son occurred during games against Chelsea and West Ham in 2023, leading to bans and legal consequences for the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, Uruguay, Bentancur’s national team, is preparing for the Copa America, where they are grouped with the United States, Panama, and Bolivia.
South Korea, led by Son, is focusing on the third round of qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in Asia, set to begin later this month.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
