Ange Postecoglou supports Tottenham’s decision to appeal Rodrigo Bentancur’s ban, but says the midfielder is “prepared to accept whatever penalty comes him way”.
Bentancur has been handed a seven-game domestic suspension for a racist slur made about Spurs captain Heung-min Son.
Spurs say they accept the guilty finding by an independent regulatory commission but the club have appealed against a punishment they have described as “severe”
Speaking for the first time since Bentancur was banned, Postecoglou said: “It’s obviously disappointing because he has been great for us this year. He has been one of the ones whose football has gone up a level.
I fully support the club’s decision to appeal the severity of the ban.
“But we understood this was kind of coming and there was an acceptance by everyone of what the penalties were. I fully support the club’s decision to appeal the severity of the ban.
“Ultimately we know it is going to be for x number of games.
“We will work with Rodrigo through that and make sure within that time he has our support in all the right ways, so when he is available again he is ready to do.”
Bentancur will miss Premier League matches against Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea among others, plus the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.
The Uruguay midfielder is available for Europa League matches.
Asked how Bentancur has been dealing with the news of his ban, Postecoglou said: “I haven’t spoken to him since the news came out. Obviously he has been away with Uruguay and is not quite back yet.
“I spoke to him in the lead up to it. As I said at the time, he understands he has made a mistake and is prepared to accept whatever penalty comes him way.
“As a club we are going to support him because, the one thing that is undeniable to me because I know him, he is an outstanding person, an unbelievable team-mate, a person of the upmost character who has made a mistake.
“When that happens our role within that is to support him in any way we can.”
