Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was charged by the Football Association on Thursday over an alleged misconduct breach for a remark made on Uruguayan TV about team-mate Son Heung-min. The Uruguay international had been asked in June by the host of the Canal 10 show for a Spurs player’s shirt, to which he replied: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.” British anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said it had received a “significant number” of complaints related to the comment.

Bentancur apologised to the South Korea international and Spurs skipper, who said his team-mate had “made a mistake”.

A statement from the FA said Bentancur had been charged with an alleged breach of its rules in relation to a media interview.

“It’s alleged that the Tottenham midfielder has breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute,” the statement said.

“It’s further alleged that this constitutes an ‘aggravated breach’ which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference, whether express or implied, to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.”

Bentancur has until September 19 to provide a response to the charge.

Former Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani was banned for three games and fined 100,000 pound ($130,000) in 2020 for using the Spanish term “negrito” (small black person) in a social media post.

Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez has been banned for five matches and fined by South American confederation CONMEBOL after his role in a mass brawl in the Copa America semi-final. Four other players have been suspended, with 11 sanctioned overall, as a result of the investigation into the violence at the end of the clash between Uruguay and Colombia in Charlotte. Nunez was among the players who waded into the stands at the Bank of America Stadium and exchanged punches with fighting fans during a chaotic end to the game.

The forward’s punishment was the most severe of those handed out with the others given four matches or less along with fines.

Midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who plays in England for Tottenham, was suspended for four matches, defender Mathias Olivera, Ronald Araujo and Jose Maria Gimenez all barred for three matches.

Nunez was fined $20,000 with the other players receiving fines ranging from $16,000 to $5,0000.

Six other players received only fines.

In addition, the Uruguayan Football Federation were fined $20,000 with the amount to be deducted from revenue and prize money.

Uruguay central defender Gimenez said players had leapt into the melee out of concern for the safety of family members and loved ones watching the game in that section of the ground.

The punishments are open to appeal but CONMEBOL statement did not state when the suspensions, which cover games organised by CONMEBOL and not domestic competitions, would begin.

Uruguay are scheduled to play a friendly against Guatemala in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday and then head into World Cup qualifiers at home to Paraguay on September 6 and away to Venezuela on September 10.

Colombia won the game 1-0 but lost the final to Argentina.