LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur has faced a setback in its efforts to reduce the seven-match suspension imposed on midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur after he made an inappropriate comment referencing South Koreans in connection to a remark about his teammate, Son Heung-min. The Football Association confirmed on Tuesday that the club’s appeal has been rejected, meaning the ban will remain in effect while the reasoning behind the decision is expected to be released shortly.

Currently, Bentancur is serving a five-match domestic suspension and is set to miss significant upcoming fixtures, including the League Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United on Thursday, as well as a Premier League match against Liverpool this Sunday.

The incident occurred during a June appearance on a Uruguayan television program. When prompted for a jersey from a Spurs player, Bentancur jokingly inquired, “Sonny’s?” and added it could also be Son’s cousin, implying that “more or less they are all the same.” Following the backlash, Bentancur apologized to Son via Instagram, describing his comment as a “very bad joke” and asserting that he would “never disrespect you or hurt you.” Son accepted the apology gracefully.

An independent commission assessed the situation and discovered that Bentancur characterized his remarks as “sarcastic” and intended as a light-hearted rebuke to the journalist who referred to Son simply as “The Korean.” He felt compelled to challenge the reporter’s labeling of his teammate. The commission ultimately concluded that, despite Bentancur’s explanations, his words were considered abusive and disrespectful, thus qualifying as misconduct within the context they were uttered.

Additionally, the decision-making body acknowledged that Bentancur did not aim to offend Son or any other individuals involved. Alongside the suspension, Bentancur has been fined £100,000 (approximately $126,000) as part of the ruling.