Spurs Manager Postecoglou Defends Appeal Against Bentancur’s Ban

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou stated he is unconcerned with external perceptions regarding the club’s decision to appeal Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-game domestic suspension for a racist slur. The Australian coach indicated his belief that education, rather than a “harsh” punishment, is the appropriate path forward for the 27-year-old midfielder, adding that he himself has “made worse mistakes.” Tottenham aims to have the Uruguayan player’s ban decreased from seven games to the six-game minimum for offences related to discrimination. When questioned if the appeal decision presented a “bad look,” Postecoglou responded: “I’m not interested in looks and whatever people… I’ve said all along he’s made a mistake, we accept whatever penalty comes his way, but we believe the first one was a little bit harsh.” He continued, stating: “”We’ve appealed against that which we believe is our right if you look at the whole process. If you look at it, it’s already at the low end of the scale. “I get that people want to burn people at the stake these days but part of the process, if you want real education and progress, is to understand when somebody makes a mistake. Part of that is education and hopefully seeing that’s the way forward. “Whether it is Rodrigo, or anyone else, as I’ve said, I am old enough to say I’ve made mistakes worse than that in life, mate, but I’ve learned from them and hopefully I am a better human being from that.”” Ange Postecoglou’s team currently occupies 10th place in the Premier League standings after 11 matches. Due to the ban, Bentancur is currently ineligible for domestic competitions until 26 December. This means he will miss Premier League fixtures against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, among others, as well as Tottenham’s Carabao Cup quarter-final match against Manchester United. However, he remains available for Europa League games. Should the suspension be reduced, Bentancur could potentially return one game earlier to participate in the match against Liverpool. When pressed on the value of pursuing an appeal to reduce the ban by only one game, Postecoglou affirmed: “It is worth it because that’s what we feel.” He further elaborated: “”Our view was that it was harsh, it should have been the minimum and we will go through that process and if it is deemed not then we will accept that.”” Postecoglou also disclosed that vice-captain Cristian Romero is suffering from a toe injury and will be unavailable for Saturday’s away game against Manchester City. Richarlison, Mickey Moore, Wilson Odobert, and Micky van de Ven are also sidelined.