What's happened
Recent football matches have been marred by incidents of racism, including a game between River Plate and Grêmio, which ended prematurely due to a racial slur accusation. Additionally, Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur faces a seven-match suspension for a discriminatory comment about teammate Son Heung-min.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to AP News, the match between River Plate and Grêmio was halted after accusations against player Candela Díaz, leading to a protest by Grêmio players. The tournament organizers emphasized their anti-racist stance, stating they would ban teams for racist gestures. In contrast, The Independent reported on Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur, whose seven-match suspension was upheld after he made a discriminatory comment about Son Heung-min. The appeal board acknowledged the offensive nature of the remark, despite Bentancur's apology and Spurs' claims of excessive punishment. This highlights the ongoing struggle against racism in football and the varying responses from organizations and players.
How we got here
The incidents stem from ongoing issues of racism in football, highlighted by a recent match where River Plate's Candela Díaz was accused of making a racial slur. Similarly, Bentancur's comments during a June interview led to disciplinary action from the Football Association.
More on these topics
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Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in the southeastern region of South America. It borders Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and east, with the Río de la Plata to the south and the Atlantic Ocean
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Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham or Spurs, is an English professional football club in Tottenham, London, that competes in the Premier League.
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Rodrigo Bentancur Colmán is an Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the Uruguay national team.
He started his career in the youth system of Argentine side Boca Juniors in 2009.