Tottenham Hotspur has appealed the seven-match suspension imposed on Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur for making a racist comment about South Korean forward Heung-min Son.

Bentancur was handed a seven-match ban and fined £100,000 ($126,000) after insinuating that all Koreans are the same, a statement that violated English Football Association rules against derogatory remarks based on nationality or ethnicity.

The London club will appeal the sanction, which was imposed by the FA, in hopes of reducing the number of matches Bentancur will miss. Initially, the suspension would keep him sidelined until late December.

Given that the comment was made in a televised interview with a presenter who has significant social media reach, and considering Bentancur's high profile in the Premier League, it is unlikely the suspension will be significantly reduced. The appeal might see the ban reduced to six matches at most.

In comparison, when fellow Uruguayan Edinson Cavani received a three-match ban in 2020 for using the term "negrito" in an Instagram post to refer to a friend, his sanction was lighter due to it being made on social media.

Another possible outcome is that the suspension’s implementation could be delayed until the appeal is resolved, which would allow Bentancur to be available for Tottenham's match against Manchester City.