Football

FIFA has imposed a 10-match suspension on Italian footballer Marco Curto for making a discriminatory remark towards South Korean forward Hee Chan Hwang during a preseason friendly between Como and Wolverhampton. The incident occurred in July, with Hwang reporting the remark to the referee during the second half.Como initially defended Curto, claiming his comment that Hwang "thinks he's Jackie Chan" was not intended to be derogatory. However, the South Korea Football Association filed a formal complaint with FIFA, which subsequently notified Curto of his disciplinary ban on October 7, 2024.FIFA's statement confirmed that Curto was found responsible for discriminatory behavior and sanctioned with a 10-match suspension. The 25-year-old has since been loaned by Como to Serie B club Cesena and is set to miss five league games through November 10.FIFA has also deferred five games of the ban for a probationary period of two years. This means that Curto could face an additional five-match suspension if he commits any further discriminatory offenses during that time.The incident has highlighted FIFA's commitment to combating racism and discrimination in football. Earlier this year, the governing body urged all 211 of its member federations to take a coordinated approach to prosecuting incidents of alleged racism and discrimination.Curto's suspension serves as a reminder that discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated in the sport. It also sends a strong message that FIFA is determined to create a more inclusive and respectful environment for all players and fans.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been charged by the Football Association (FA) for an alleged misconduct breach related to a comment he made about teammate Son Heung-min on Uruguayan television.During an interview on Canal 10 in June, Bentancur was asked for a Spurs player's shirt. He responded by saying, "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."The comment sparked outrage, with British anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out receiving a "significant number" of complaints. Bentancur subsequently apologized to Son and Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris, acknowledging that he had "made a mistake."The FA has now charged Bentancur with an alleged breach of its rules in relation to a media interview. The statement from the FA reads:"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."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 respond to the charge. The FA's investigation comes amid a wider crackdown on racism and discrimination in football. In 2020, former Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani was banned for three games and fined £100,000 for using the Spanish term "negrito" (small black person) in a social media post.The FA's decision to charge Bentancur sends a clear message that it will not tolerate any form of discrimination or abuse in the game. It remains to be seen how the case will be resolved, but it is likely that Bentancur will face a significant punishment if found guilty.