London: Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was banned for seven matches on Monday for making an offensive comment about South Koreans in relation to a remark about Tottenham teammate Son Heung-min.

The English Football Association said in a statement that an independent commission also imposed a £100,000 ($126,000) fine on the player.

Appearing on a Uruguayan television show in June, Bentancur was asked for a Tottenham player’s jersey and replied, “Sonny’s?” He added it could be Son’s cousin, too, because “more or less they are all the same.”

Bentancur apologised to Son on Instagram, saying it was a “very bad joke” and he would “never disrespect you or hurt you.”

He was charged by the English FA in September because he was alleged to have “acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.”

The FA said it constituted an aggravated breach because it included “reference to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.” AP