ottenham Hotspur has officially appealed the seven-match ban handed to midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur for making a racially insensitive comment about teammate Heung-min Son. The club described the punishment as "too severe" in a statement issued on Wednesday.

While Tottenham acknowledged Bentancur's guilt, they argued that the length of the suspension was excessive. The Uruguayan player will remain suspended throughout the appeal process, ruling him out of Saturday's clash against Manchester City.

Through the appeal, Spurs aim to reduce the suspension by at least one game, enabling Bentancur to return for the match against Liverpool on December 22.

Bentancur was fined £100,000 (€120,000) and banned for insinuating that "all Koreans are the same," a comment deemed to violate the English Football Association's rules against derogatory remarks based on nationality or ethnicity.