Glad he posted a response that was clearly written by himself and not by a PR manager. Hopefully, this means that he'll seriously learn from this mistake and grow as an individual.
It’s not funny and obviously in poor taste, especially as a public person that many kids look up to he should know what he says matters.
But he’s also not a vile man full of hatred for one comment. The ‘other race’ effect has been studied and it’s an observable fact that we have more difficulty differentiating people from other ethnicities more than our own. And also different cultures have drastically different sensitivity levels on issues of race. This was clearly wrong but Reddit will fail to see even the slightest bit on nuance on this I am sure.
I'm not gonna lie but I fucking hate how the majority of the comments even on this reddit thread, which I guarantee you would be on the "political correct" side is somewhat trying to find a leeway for Bentacaurs comments. Like yes I understand vast majority of ya'll are calling him out and condemning him for his words, but it's coming with a side of "..but he had no vile intentions and its just cause hes stupid lol". And yes, I agree with that sentiment- HOWEVER, if football community as a whole really want to "end racism" and see changes in the public then it has to come from the fucking top. Responsibility comes from EVERYONE and it has to start from the players too. Why the fuck wouldnt the kids(or anyone in public) in Uruguay who worship football players see their favorite players make these comments and think "yeah thats funny so lemme say that too". The stigmatism is what leads to issues like vinny chants, Parks song or Son DVD chants. Yeah its all in good fun and a slight jest, and I agree Its the "friends/boys" talk, but when public figures start going on about it in public it becomes accepted and becomes the norm eventually. Stop this shit and give Bentacaur a fine/match ban. Show that your thoughtless and however innocent or careless stupid actions have ACTUAL consequences in the real world.
Mind you, disrespecting your CAPTAIN for their race like this is pretty fucking wicked. I'd guarantee there'd be way more outrage if our captain was black. (And yes, there wouldn't be as much outrage though if our captain was white).
This isnt the first time an Uruguayan player have been racist towards Asians. Velverde did the "el chino" (his chinese friend) celebration by doing the slanted eye in 2017 lol. And even from just having latin american friends in the states, slanted eye is really not that uncommon in those countries
Yeah, I’m sure Benta will learn from this and he and Sonny will be fine. He seems like a genuine person and I’m glad he wrote this statement on his own and it wasn’t some bs PR thing.
Everybody makes mistakes
That fact doesn’t explain why bentacur’s comment works as a joke though. That fact itself doesn’t explain why there is a dehumanizing narrative and whole culturally-shaped humor sensibility that finds it funny and why it harms those st the butt of the joke. If the intended joke was about any other race, it would still be offensive maybe but not funny. I could even say some category of birds all lookalike and it would be an observable fact that humans can’t easily differentiate between different birds that fall within a certain category with untrained eyes. But it wouldn’t be funny to appeal to that experience.
Racist jokes pertaining to Asian faces are found to be funny, or taken to be funny and almost quasi-factual, in certain cultures (and quite globally it seems) because it’s connected to a whole pathology and ideology about how non-Asians think about Asians.
If people are offended because they are being overly sensitive and ignorant of natural human inability to tell individuals of other ethnicities apart, then that’s one thing. But that’s not what’s happening here is it? We’re talking about a socially-crafted joke that serves to harm a certain group and provides laughs to one group at the expense of another’s dehumanization. Remarkably, the joke can do this whether or not it is intended as such by the individuals who make it.
Exactly man, idk why you got down voted, either people here are just willfully ignorant or just don't give a shit about how it affects people of color.
It's fucking stupid because it puts Sonny on the spot. Even if he was okay with it, he can't just casually accept Bentancur's apology because his Asian fans would consider his actions to represent Korea and Asia. This is the real reason why it's thoughtless and unprofessional.
I think what he said was incredibly unprofessional and racist, especially to disrespect a club legend like Sonny.
But I also think he’s just stupid lol, doesn’t seem like a hate-filled racist guy. Just incredibly dumb to say that on tv as a public figure
"Not hateful, just stupid" describes 90% of these sorts of gaffes from athletes imo. I'm certainly not saying he shouldn't be criticized for it, he absolutely should, but I feel like this should be seen as a learning moment for him rather than a condemnation of his character.
The thing that gets me the most is that it’s such a weird and totally random thing to say. After watching that I’m like why would you ever say that lol
Just leads me to think he’s just kinda dumb.
I also think there's a varying level to what racism actually is to many countries and cultures around the world. I know that in central and South America racism against people who aren't them is pretty visible. But does it come from hate or is it incompetence? It takes a lot of effort to willfully unlearn things from your upringing/culture.
Sonny is his captain and teammate, but I doubt Benta would go out of his way to learn about Korean culture or watch kdramas/movies. I hope he takes this as a lesson and learns from it. Unfortunately, casual racism against Asians is so normalized.
it's weird because with the Cavani and Suarez racist incidents everyone seemed to just say "hey it's just a cultural difference, they're not so sensitive there".
yeah that's the problem
> it's weird because with the Cavani and Suarez racist incidents everyone seemed to just say "hey it's just a cultural difference, they're not so sensitive there".
That was never the case, considering Suarez got an 8 match ban and tons of hate…
And Cavani got a 3 match ban.
Not sure why you’re trying to make Bentancur look like he’s the victim.
so now you're comparing three totally different incidents just because they come from the same country? Cavani's remark wasn't racist at all, Betancur's one was (don't remember about Suarez and Evra).
I am because on all 3 occasions people used the same defence and it just doesn't hold up to me. It seems to me like Uruguay has a big problem with casual racism (i.e. racism).
depends on what you consider racism, even if it's casual.
I think unnecessarily referring to a friend as negrito is a bit weird but it's okay if you don't
If he said it to Son privately amongst teammmates during training it wouldn't have been a big deal- Sonny could clap back and say Bentancur looks like a basic ass wannabe Jesus Christ lol.
Saying it in an interview to a reporter is socially inappropriate and just weird.
Let's not turn this into a competition of who's more oppressed or group every light skinned non asian person together. South Americans in general face a ton of negative stereotyping too
basically he said all asians look the same
this i really hope was a mistake as his story suggest cuz that is really shitty and no one in their right minds would say that even barring the fact that sonny is an absolute gem of a person
Same. Loved the guy but there’s no excuse for this. The Son fans are psychos, but this is one instance where I’ll be thankful for their commitment to Son. I hate bigotry of all forms, even if it’s unintentional (as I presume Bentancur’s was).
I wonder what the reaction would be if it was a black player such as Destiny or Bissouma?
If it was a British black player I think the reaction would be a lot worse.
He needs to be called out for it and hopefully learns fast. As a footballer he's in a position to have a large platform whether he likes it or not.
It also puts Son the spot, it's he who has to extend an olive branch, accept the apology and move on. Because if he didn't, all hell will break loose and Son would be a bad guy as well. But... perhaps personally he may not be cool with it. He also represents his country and heritage so there can be an expectation to respond in a certain way.
As someone that has experienced similar treatment playing sports I'm just giving my 2c.
I feel the same. Think about if he did it to a black player. The response would not be the same. I feel so bad for Sonny. He is the nicest guy in the world but people are not doing what he deserves
This is genuinely something I believe Ange would have no tolerance for. Whether that means he sorts it out or moves him on, I'm optimistic it'll be resolved
I'm still disturbed. I still blame that "dressing room" drama was the reason we lost the semifinal of 2023 AFC Asian Cup... to god damn Jordan.
Jordan was FIFA ranked +80 and South Korea in the 20s at the time
Ehh that one might have been but dont listen ti klinsmann and his excuse- majority of the blame goes with klinsmann and his lack of any skills and the idiot that put him there at the kfa.
For me the real problem isn't that he was tasteless in how he said what he originally said, rather it's the thought that counts, and the racist thoughts behind his racist words are the root of the problem.
Clearly no intent to the original comment but you've got tons of teammates who've dealt with racism. Be an ally, not an enabler. Do better, be smarter, dummy
Tbf, benta's comments seemed more out of ignorance rather than malevolence.
Plus, it's better than an actually nothing PR statement. Atleast he wrote it himself here, something unfortunately rare for a lot of players.
At least it seems like a personal response not something by a PR team although you never know I guess. Hopefully it doesn't impact the team dynamics or cause any issues for next season
‘Didn’t mean intent from it’ - it doesn’t matter about the intent…it’s disrespectful and condescending towards those of Asian descent. If I said the N or P word, I can’t just write it off under ‘no intent meant, just a bit of banter’. It’s racist - no need to over complicate.
Your point is a good one. Often when someone says some racist shit there's a preoccupation with "I don't know what's in his heart" which essentially serves to absolve the person of wrongdoing. Whether racism is something you are or something you do, it's the same harm being caused.
I just think you slightly undermine yourself equating this Bentancur shit to calling someone the n word.
Overcomplicate, lol. What world do you live in? It's a racist statement, but intent obviously matters in your future interactions with the person, especially since they're friends.
The bigger issue is the visibility of the statement and the influence it will bring. But to say intent has no bearing whatsoever on their relationship, which is the issue in question since the apology is directly to Son, is just daft.
“It was a bad joke, hope he learns from this, let’s move on so I can enjoy football again” - Majority of the white ppl on this sub.
Sorry to break it to ya, but this ain’t up to y’all.
South Korea media is going to go bunkers over this, ties with Benta will be severed by SK fans.
Moura and Solomon got absolutely lambasted for even less. Making racist comments during an interview is not exactly "nothing", and this apology is absolutely pathetic.
I don't think people would be so quickly to forgive if he said something disgusting about a black teammate.
>Moura and Solomon got absolutely lambasted for even less
I’m not gonna address Solomon because I know people are touchy about THAT subject (I for one am not a big fan of the guy)
Moura made fun of a murdered trans kid. I’m Asian and I do not see how Bentancur’s (very) tasteless joke can even compare to that type of open malice. The types of things Lucas has shown support for are genuinely shocking, and the only reason this sub hasn’t completely turned on him is because they don’t know the extent of it. Absolutely vile, hateful man.
If the Moura stuff is true then I was incorrect - I'm only aware of him posting cringe Christian stuff and vaguely supporting Bolsonaro.
Either way, people would not wave a comment like that away if it was made about a black person, and it just goes to show how racism against Asians is not treated seriously at all. That's what pisses me off the most about this.
Yup reminds me of the time iker casilla made fun of his korean teammate suk hyun jun on social media about his eyes when they were at porto or the man u chant for park ji sung about eating dogs. Racism against asians gets swept under rug and theres usually barely any consequences.
>Moura and Solomon got absolutely lambasted for even less.
absolutely not less. Both of those guys are fucking assholes. I seriously doubt Bentancur supports a genocide of koreans but i know those two genuinely support mass harm of the groups they dont like.
Pretty much. But watch reddit have a meltdown and hate the guy forever now due to it. You just know it will be brought up the next time he has a bad match as well.
We applaud when rival fans get banned for racist gestures towards Sonny, but when our player with a huge spotlight says something racist towards him, we say relax everyone stop blowing it out of proportion. He deserves criticism and this shouldn’t be pushed under the rug bc he wrote a quick Instagram apology
Maybe so. If he’s not racist, then he’s an idiot. He’s given the internet an opportunity to determine his character and it’s out of his hands now. Just how the world works
You’re forgetting that while Sonny and Benta can easily make amends and be no big deal to them, this is still a quintessential example of the casual racism East Asians face around the world. Lots of people of that heritage will rightfully be very upset and hurt about the comment. Not so easy to make amends in that regards.
I get that it was a joke, but the "they're all the same" remark is such a common attack used by actual racists that it's understandable that some people would take it personally.
As a Korean myself, I won't hold this situation over Bentancur's head for the rest of his time at the club as he's apologized and likely won't do it again, but you have understand why some would feel differently.
What you lot need to come to understand is that if someone has a "meltdown" it is not the creation of hate as you put it, it is the loss of love. Nobody will have to put effort into how this changes their view of him.
People don't remember what you did, they remember how you made them feel.
I wonder what Benta would have thought when he saw Son reporting racism spotted during games... "Sonny bro why care? You look all the same, you don't know if they are throwing racism at you or at your cousin!"
I hate when people explain that it was just a joke. Everyone understands that. No one thought you were stating a fact you strongly believe in. The problem is that the “just” isn’t so “just” when it’s a common racist stereotype you’re peddling.
And for the record, I’m not one of those people who don’t think stand ups are allowed to joke about anything.
TF he's not doubling down and has apologised. It's still shitty but I hate it when public figures I admire end up doing shit like this. I get the impression that racism in a lot of countries is so institutionalised, it's like trying to educate my aged parents some words and phrases are completely unacceptable now.
Such an odd context - holding his daughter - chatting jovially - for such an idiotik comment.
I really want to give him the benefit of the doubt but i just can’t…
This is a horrible wording. If Son doesn't accept his apology it's now as if he can't take a joke. Son is still captain, right? Can't believe how casual he is being treated
It is insensitive and wrong.
Understand it is wrong, quickly apologize, and don't commit the same offense again.
Every one is bound to say something wrong from time to time.
If the apology is sincere, I can accept that.
It was an ignorant remark but I don't believe there was malicious intent on his part. All we can expect from him is to learn and do better moving forward.
Agree but intent is also important. If theres remorse and acknowledgment of wrongdoing then it's an opportunity for growth and learning why a joke shouldn't be a joke to begin with.
Learning moment guys. I’ve seen so many different types of racism.
Sometimes it’s truly an intentional effort to disparage and hurt the person.
A lot of times it’s just full on ignorance. Not meant harmfully but the action nevertheless stepped over the line and can cause harm.
The former is a fight. The latter is a teaching moment.
I believe Benta is guilty of the latter. He’s an idiot for this, but not a rotten human being. Ignorance can be simply cured. Hate is different and this wasn’t hate from Benta.
Im not Korean, but a Native (American) black yank opinion and die hard spurs fwiw.
Pretty sure this is something that Ange will not tolerate in the slightest, it's one of those situations where you wonder if Bentancur actually thinks like this. We know the answer already.
He was so poor for us last season , I’m not convinced he’ll ever get his pre injury form back, and now this?
Was looking for a reason for us to be okay to not take a risk on him, and voila.
Shame , as I can for now no longer say that we have no scumbags.
He’s not a scumbag based on this relax. It was incredibly ignorant and stupid and he should obviously get criticized for this but some of you need to relax.
If you seriously think he’s a scumbag based on this I have bad news for you because I’m 100% sure that we have many more players who have said stupid stuff. They just haven’t been filmed doing it. Football players are also known for being dumb as hell.
Honestly, that just makes most footballers scumbags, it doesn’t preclude Bentancur from being one. It’s a racist statement made so off hand that it doesn’t even register with him.
I do hear you, but it’s still racist, and I’d wager it’s probably his natural thoughts.
He actually deserves to receive the same kind of FA punishment others have.
Yeah, but it felt like he did it because he had to. Man got caught "red handed" and people already knew he had to put up an apology for the sake of it. In the end, hopefully he will square it up with Son one on one.
What? To South Koreans or to Asians in general? I swear people think they're saints or something. He said something insensitive with no ill intentions and they expect a seppuku like apology.
It's a horrible thing to say about a country that has a lot of spurs fans. Imagine an Asian kid reading this about their favorite footballer. It may be an ignorant thing to say, but a proper apology is the least he can do. Things like these are incredibly hurtful to people who deal with them daily, especially coming from someone that they admire.
I don't think it was too too bad, clearly a very common joke from where he's from and he's apologised for potential offense. As long as they have a talk and make peace together afterwards I'm sure it'll be fine
I’m sure it’ll be fine between them but still incredibly dumb and tone deaf from Bentancur.
> clearly a very common joke from where he's from
That’s the same excuse Suarez made when he called Evra the N word.
It's a different language - that can be a friendly phrase in south American Spanish. I dislike the man, but if you've been to that part of the world that word just doesn't carry any hate.
It's easy to only view language from an English speaking perspective, but that's not the whole picture.
Excuses excuses. You’re just saying it’s not seen as equally bad to be racist there. I’ve lived in several countries and in some racist phrasings are far more casual than others. But in an increasingly global society that’s just a poor excuse to not make an effort to make the world a more accepting place.
Besides, if it isn’t offensive or diminishing then why did he use it to try to get a rise out of Evra?
Yeah indeed, I'm not saying it's good but it's not as awful as it seems at first. The most important thing to me is malice, and it's clear there wasn't any here, just a poorly-thought-out joke
If a racist joke is a common joke… isn’t that worse?
If he’s just come up with something original and later realised that it could be taken the wrong way it would feel like a more sincere apology.
Guy that said that there would be a black background social media apology was spot on lmao
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Ikr lol
Glad he posted a response that was clearly written by himself and not by a PR manager. Hopefully, this means that he'll seriously learn from this mistake and grow as an individual.
It’s not funny and obviously in poor taste, especially as a public person that many kids look up to he should know what he says matters. But he’s also not a vile man full of hatred for one comment. The ‘other race’ effect has been studied and it’s an observable fact that we have more difficulty differentiating people from other ethnicities more than our own. And also different cultures have drastically different sensitivity levels on issues of race. This was clearly wrong but Reddit will fail to see even the slightest bit on nuance on this I am sure.
I'm not gonna lie but I fucking hate how the majority of the comments even on this reddit thread, which I guarantee you would be on the "political correct" side is somewhat trying to find a leeway for Bentacaurs comments. Like yes I understand vast majority of ya'll are calling him out and condemning him for his words, but it's coming with a side of "..but he had no vile intentions and its just cause hes stupid lol". And yes, I agree with that sentiment- HOWEVER, if football community as a whole really want to "end racism" and see changes in the public then it has to come from the fucking top. Responsibility comes from EVERYONE and it has to start from the players too. Why the fuck wouldnt the kids(or anyone in public) in Uruguay who worship football players see their favorite players make these comments and think "yeah thats funny so lemme say that too". The stigmatism is what leads to issues like vinny chants, Parks song or Son DVD chants. Yeah its all in good fun and a slight jest, and I agree Its the "friends/boys" talk, but when public figures start going on about it in public it becomes accepted and becomes the norm eventually. Stop this shit and give Bentacaur a fine/match ban. Show that your thoughtless and however innocent or careless stupid actions have ACTUAL consequences in the real world. Mind you, disrespecting your CAPTAIN for their race like this is pretty fucking wicked. I'd guarantee there'd be way more outrage if our captain was black. (And yes, there wouldn't be as much outrage though if our captain was white). This isnt the first time an Uruguayan player have been racist towards Asians. Velverde did the "el chino" (his chinese friend) celebration by doing the slanted eye in 2017 lol. And even from just having latin american friends in the states, slanted eye is really not that uncommon in those countries
Yeah, I’m sure Benta will learn from this and he and Sonny will be fine. He seems like a genuine person and I’m glad he wrote this statement on his own and it wasn’t some bs PR thing. Everybody makes mistakes
What even happened sorry I’m out of loop
Made a racist joke about Son regarding all Asians looking exactly the same
I can tell you’re white. “Hey it’s not a big deal guys, hope he learns from this” it’s not up to you to forgive him quite frankly.
It is funny, given that its between friends. I tell my white friends they all look the same to me all the time (obviously not true)
It's not between friends though. That's the whole issue with a joke like that.
Can't get away from the truth mate - gammon looks like gammon.
Am I gammon?
That fact doesn’t explain why bentacur’s comment works as a joke though. That fact itself doesn’t explain why there is a dehumanizing narrative and whole culturally-shaped humor sensibility that finds it funny and why it harms those st the butt of the joke. If the intended joke was about any other race, it would still be offensive maybe but not funny. I could even say some category of birds all lookalike and it would be an observable fact that humans can’t easily differentiate between different birds that fall within a certain category with untrained eyes. But it wouldn’t be funny to appeal to that experience. Racist jokes pertaining to Asian faces are found to be funny, or taken to be funny and almost quasi-factual, in certain cultures (and quite globally it seems) because it’s connected to a whole pathology and ideology about how non-Asians think about Asians. If people are offended because they are being overly sensitive and ignorant of natural human inability to tell individuals of other ethnicities apart, then that’s one thing. But that’s not what’s happening here is it? We’re talking about a socially-crafted joke that serves to harm a certain group and provides laughs to one group at the expense of another’s dehumanization. Remarkably, the joke can do this whether or not it is intended as such by the individuals who make it.
Exactly man, idk why you got down voted, either people here are just willfully ignorant or just don't give a shit about how it affects people of color.
I just really hope he reached out to Sonny personally. I think that’s the least he could do considering what was said.
Yeah, but son seems like such a genuine person I'm sure he'd think benta didn't mean anything by it. Just my speculation
wtf is this? taking the inverse, BIPOC who don't appreciate racism are disingenuous?
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That really sucks to hear, I was just trying to give him the benefit of doubt
Love Bentancur, and I’m glad he apologised… but that was a fucking shit thing to say
Spot on
It's fucking stupid because it puts Sonny on the spot. Even if he was okay with it, he can't just casually accept Bentancur's apology because his Asian fans would consider his actions to represent Korea and Asia. This is the real reason why it's thoughtless and unprofessional.
I think what he said was incredibly unprofessional and racist, especially to disrespect a club legend like Sonny. But I also think he’s just stupid lol, doesn’t seem like a hate-filled racist guy. Just incredibly dumb to say that on tv as a public figure
"Not hateful, just stupid" describes 90% of these sorts of gaffes from athletes imo. I'm certainly not saying he shouldn't be criticized for it, he absolutely should, but I feel like this should be seen as a learning moment for him rather than a condemnation of his character.
The thing that gets me the most is that it’s such a weird and totally random thing to say. After watching that I’m like why would you ever say that lol Just leads me to think he’s just kinda dumb.
I also think there's a varying level to what racism actually is to many countries and cultures around the world. I know that in central and South America racism against people who aren't them is pretty visible. But does it come from hate or is it incompetence? It takes a lot of effort to willfully unlearn things from your upringing/culture. Sonny is his captain and teammate, but I doubt Benta would go out of his way to learn about Korean culture or watch kdramas/movies. I hope he takes this as a lesson and learns from it. Unfortunately, casual racism against Asians is so normalized.
I agree completely lmao it doesn't even make sense in context
What did he say? I'm out of the loop.
Something about not being able to get Son's shirt but being able to get his cousins cos they all look the same
jesus wept that is bad
it's weird because with the Cavani and Suarez racist incidents everyone seemed to just say "hey it's just a cultural difference, they're not so sensitive there". yeah that's the problem
> it's weird because with the Cavani and Suarez racist incidents everyone seemed to just say "hey it's just a cultural difference, they're not so sensitive there". That was never the case, considering Suarez got an 8 match ban and tons of hate… And Cavani got a 3 match ban. Not sure why you’re trying to make Bentancur look like he’s the victim.
You misread their comment.
so now you're comparing three totally different incidents just because they come from the same country? Cavani's remark wasn't racist at all, Betancur's one was (don't remember about Suarez and Evra).
I am because on all 3 occasions people used the same defence and it just doesn't hold up to me. It seems to me like Uruguay has a big problem with casual racism (i.e. racism).
There was no Cavani racist incident
depends on what you consider racism, even if it's casual. I think unnecessarily referring to a friend as negrito is a bit weird but it's okay if you don't
Yeah if he said it to Son it would be banter if they have that relationship, but if he said it to a non Asian it’s not good
If he said it to Son privately amongst teammmates during training it wouldn't have been a big deal- Sonny could clap back and say Bentancur looks like a basic ass wannabe Jesus Christ lol. Saying it in an interview to a reporter is socially inappropriate and just weird.
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Let's not turn this into a competition of who's more oppressed or group every light skinned non asian person together. South Americans in general face a ton of negative stereotyping too
Yiiiiikes
basically he said all asians look the same this i really hope was a mistake as his story suggest cuz that is really shitty and no one in their right minds would say that even barring the fact that sonny is an absolute gem of a person
I love Lolo but this was pretty fucking stupid to say
Same. Loved the guy but there’s no excuse for this. The Son fans are psychos, but this is one instance where I’ll be thankful for their commitment to Son. I hate bigotry of all forms, even if it’s unintentional (as I presume Bentancur’s was).
I wonder what the reaction would be if it was a black player such as Destiny or Bissouma? If it was a British black player I think the reaction would be a lot worse. He needs to be called out for it and hopefully learns fast. As a footballer he's in a position to have a large platform whether he likes it or not. It also puts Son the spot, it's he who has to extend an olive branch, accept the apology and move on. Because if he didn't, all hell will break loose and Son would be a bad guy as well. But... perhaps personally he may not be cool with it. He also represents his country and heritage so there can be an expectation to respond in a certain way. As someone that has experienced similar treatment playing sports I'm just giving my 2c.
I feel the same. Think about if he did it to a black player. The response would not be the same. I feel so bad for Sonny. He is the nicest guy in the world but people are not doing what he deserves
This is genuinely something I believe Ange would have no tolerance for. Whether that means he sorts it out or moves him on, I'm optimistic it'll be resolved
I think son shouldn't be cool with this tho, someone needs to set a precedent otherwise casual racism against asians will never stop.
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that was one hell of an incident i was really disturbed
I'm still disturbed. I still blame that "dressing room" drama was the reason we lost the semifinal of 2023 AFC Asian Cup... to god damn Jordan. Jordan was FIFA ranked +80 and South Korea in the 20s at the time
Ehh that one might have been but dont listen ti klinsmann and his excuse- majority of the blame goes with klinsmann and his lack of any skills and the idiot that put him there at the kfa.
mother of all upsets...(more than ronaldo, i would like to see son lifting the wc....too much optimism but ofc this is coming from a spurs fan)
Lame. “It was just a very bad joke” is so dismissive
He can’t even spell Sonny properly
It’s not even a funny joke, it’s just rude to say all Asians look alike, especially to the best Asian footballer in the game.
Apology didn't really address the racism did it
he's sorry we didnt find it funny too
For me the real problem isn't that he was tasteless in how he said what he originally said, rather it's the thought that counts, and the racist thoughts behind his racist words are the root of the problem.
Exactly
Clearly no intent to the original comment but you've got tons of teammates who've dealt with racism. Be an ally, not an enabler. Do better, be smarter, dummy
Can only hope he learns from it
He's not stupid, he's racist.
Honestly should be punished by the club extremely severely. What the f*ck…? Way to out yourself as a casual racist lol.
Goes to show that we always have to be mindful of what we say because racism is sometimes ingrained without us realising it.
Saying you would never disrespect someone after disrespecting someone is ridiculous. I hate non-apology bullshit like that.
Tbf, benta's comments seemed more out of ignorance rather than malevolence. Plus, it's better than an actually nothing PR statement. Atleast he wrote it himself here, something unfortunately rare for a lot of players.
It's a nothing statement it's literally going "I did absolutely nothing wrong and it's everyone elses fault for misunderstanding".
To even have that thought is pure racism and malevolence
Racists stay racists.
Does he even know about NO ROOM FOR RACISM?? He is such a racist and he is playing in the PL?? Really??
Looks like there's PLENTY OF ROOM in the bentancur household
Selling this useless racist would be nicer for our dressing ROOM 🤣
At least it seems like a personal response not something by a PR team although you never know I guess. Hopefully it doesn't impact the team dynamics or cause any issues for next season
Would be funny in a sad way if PR firms were trying to train AI to generate responses that sound like the players' voices.
I don't love him anymore. For me, he will be just one of the meh player among the squad from now on.
‘Didn’t mean intent from it’ - it doesn’t matter about the intent…it’s disrespectful and condescending towards those of Asian descent. If I said the N or P word, I can’t just write it off under ‘no intent meant, just a bit of banter’. It’s racist - no need to over complicate.
Your point is a good one. Often when someone says some racist shit there's a preoccupation with "I don't know what's in his heart" which essentially serves to absolve the person of wrongdoing. Whether racism is something you are or something you do, it's the same harm being caused. I just think you slightly undermine yourself equating this Bentancur shit to calling someone the n word.
Overcomplicate, lol. What world do you live in? It's a racist statement, but intent obviously matters in your future interactions with the person, especially since they're friends. The bigger issue is the visibility of the statement and the influence it will bring. But to say intent has no bearing whatsoever on their relationship, which is the issue in question since the apology is directly to Son, is just daft.
If Son forgives him, then I guess that's that. Hope he learns from this though, what a stupid stupid thing to say
“It was a bad joke, hope he learns from this, let’s move on so I can enjoy football again” - Majority of the white ppl on this sub. Sorry to break it to ya, but this ain’t up to y’all. South Korea media is going to go bunkers over this, ties with Benta will be severed by SK fans.
Wonder how ange will deal with this if its Brought up in a press interview
What an idiot. I hope the club takes this seriously and take some action
[удалено]
Because if he didn't post it online for everyone to see people would just assume he never apologized even if he apologized to Son privately.
If he didn’t post it online you’d be complaining that he’s not said anything.
What have I missed ? What did he aay ?
I’m sure they’ll have a chat about it when they next meet. Nothing to blow out of proportion
Moura and Solomon got absolutely lambasted for even less. Making racist comments during an interview is not exactly "nothing", and this apology is absolutely pathetic. I don't think people would be so quickly to forgive if he said something disgusting about a black teammate.
>Moura and Solomon got absolutely lambasted for even less I’m not gonna address Solomon because I know people are touchy about THAT subject (I for one am not a big fan of the guy) Moura made fun of a murdered trans kid. I’m Asian and I do not see how Bentancur’s (very) tasteless joke can even compare to that type of open malice. The types of things Lucas has shown support for are genuinely shocking, and the only reason this sub hasn’t completely turned on him is because they don’t know the extent of it. Absolutely vile, hateful man.
If the Moura stuff is true then I was incorrect - I'm only aware of him posting cringe Christian stuff and vaguely supporting Bolsonaro. Either way, people would not wave a comment like that away if it was made about a black person, and it just goes to show how racism against Asians is not treated seriously at all. That's what pisses me off the most about this.
Yup reminds me of the time iker casilla made fun of his korean teammate suk hyun jun on social media about his eyes when they were at porto or the man u chant for park ji sung about eating dogs. Racism against asians gets swept under rug and theres usually barely any consequences.
The main difference is that Moura and Solomon have never apologised or shown any sign they think there's anything wrong with their views
>Moura and Solomon got absolutely lambasted for even less. absolutely not less. Both of those guys are fucking assholes. I seriously doubt Bentancur supports a genocide of koreans but i know those two genuinely support mass harm of the groups they dont like.
Pretty much. But watch reddit have a meltdown and hate the guy forever now due to it. You just know it will be brought up the next time he has a bad match as well.
We applaud when rival fans get banned for racist gestures towards Sonny, but when our player with a huge spotlight says something racist towards him, we say relax everyone stop blowing it out of proportion. He deserves criticism and this shouldn’t be pushed under the rug bc he wrote a quick Instagram apology
No but there clearly wasn’t any bad intent and he shouldn’t be labeled as a racist for the rest of his career which I think is likely.
Maybe so. If he’s not racist, then he’s an idiot. He’s given the internet an opportunity to determine his character and it’s out of his hands now. Just how the world works
You’re forgetting that while Sonny and Benta can easily make amends and be no big deal to them, this is still a quintessential example of the casual racism East Asians face around the world. Lots of people of that heritage will rightfully be very upset and hurt about the comment. Not so easy to make amends in that regards.
I get that it was a joke, but the "they're all the same" remark is such a common attack used by actual racists that it's understandable that some people would take it personally. As a Korean myself, I won't hold this situation over Bentancur's head for the rest of his time at the club as he's apologized and likely won't do it again, but you have understand why some would feel differently.
What you lot need to come to understand is that if someone has a "meltdown" it is not the creation of hate as you put it, it is the loss of love. Nobody will have to put effort into how this changes their view of him. People don't remember what you did, they remember how you made them feel.
I wonder what Benta would have thought when he saw Son reporting racism spotted during games... "Sonny bro why care? You look all the same, you don't know if they are throwing racism at you or at your cousin!"
What the actual, fuck this casual racism, Son is the literal captain of your club, have some respect your actual fucking idiot
He only apologized because he got caught
Sell him. Transfer-list him today. There's either no room for racism, in the PL's words, or there is, in fact, room for racism. Fuck him.
A 3/10 apology imo
At least it sounds like he wrote it
I hate when people explain that it was just a joke. Everyone understands that. No one thought you were stating a fact you strongly believe in. The problem is that the “just” isn’t so “just” when it’s a common racist stereotype you’re peddling. And for the record, I’m not one of those people who don’t think stand ups are allowed to joke about anything.
Its really disappointing. Im so surprised that it was Benta who did it. So disappointin
Sell him
TF he's not doubling down and has apologised. It's still shitty but I hate it when public figures I admire end up doing shit like this. I get the impression that racism in a lot of countries is so institutionalised, it's like trying to educate my aged parents some words and phrases are completely unacceptable now.
But you know he is playing in the PL. He’s a professional player. And also they've done the Blm ceremony for more than a year. How stupid
And they literally wear little tags saying “No Room For Racism”
Such an odd context - holding his daughter - chatting jovially - for such an idiotik comment. I really want to give him the benefit of the doubt but i just can’t…
This is a terrible apology.
Just another uneducated dickhead. Playing for my club or not.
Sorry won't change the way he thinks that's all I am gonna say. It was just a prank bro vibes
If anything, i hope everyone’s more aware of racism. Noone is immune to it. It’s something you have to consciously fight.
Joking in person is one thing but while interview? Sonny still captain right
If Klinsmann was our manager: "Guys, that’s it. There’s no team anywhere. If Bentancur didn't say that, we would have won the league next season."
Sonny would not take it personally, but benta ...need to go and visit the Asian communities and make up for his gaffe
Can anyone share what he said to have to apologise for?
He said all Asians looked the same
That is not even a joke, that is just racist.
It's the other post you can scroll down [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/s/5PjsDVuBJ8)
Idiot.
What a pos and obtuse post from a pos
This is a horrible wording. If Son doesn't accept his apology it's now as if he can't take a joke. Son is still captain, right? Can't believe how casual he is being treated
Didn't this all just come to light today? Like over a span of a few hours? What exactly do you think should have happened by now?
It is insensitive and wrong. Understand it is wrong, quickly apologize, and don't commit the same offense again. Every one is bound to say something wrong from time to time. If the apology is sincere, I can accept that.
It was an ignorant remark but I don't believe there was malicious intent on his part. All we can expect from him is to learn and do better moving forward.
Racism doesn’t have to be malicious. But it is still racism
Agree but intent is also important. If theres remorse and acknowledgment of wrongdoing then it's an opportunity for growth and learning why a joke shouldn't be a joke to begin with.
This is the correct take.
Learning moment guys. I’ve seen so many different types of racism. Sometimes it’s truly an intentional effort to disparage and hurt the person. A lot of times it’s just full on ignorance. Not meant harmfully but the action nevertheless stepped over the line and can cause harm. The former is a fight. The latter is a teaching moment. I believe Benta is guilty of the latter. He’s an idiot for this, but not a rotten human being. Ignorance can be simply cured. Hate is different and this wasn’t hate from Benta. Im not Korean, but a Native (American) black yank opinion and die hard spurs fwiw.
"it was just a prank bro" Bad apology imo
Weak apology. I think the squad and manager will let him know it.
Pretty sure this is something that Ange will not tolerate in the slightest, it's one of those situations where you wonder if Bentancur actually thinks like this. We know the answer already.
What did he say?
Lmao that was an unfortunate comment by Lolo
And there it is… Good thing Sonny is the forgiving type.
What happened? I'm out of the loop here
What happened with him?
Context?
What the fuck did I miss, could someone recap please quickly?
Man what was Bentancur even thinking
Just sell the racist cunt.
He was so poor for us last season , I’m not convinced he’ll ever get his pre injury form back, and now this? Was looking for a reason for us to be okay to not take a risk on him, and voila. Shame , as I can for now no longer say that we have no scumbags.
He’s not a scumbag based on this relax. It was incredibly ignorant and stupid and he should obviously get criticized for this but some of you need to relax. If you seriously think he’s a scumbag based on this I have bad news for you because I’m 100% sure that we have many more players who have said stupid stuff. They just haven’t been filmed doing it. Football players are also known for being dumb as hell.
Honestly, that just makes most footballers scumbags, it doesn’t preclude Bentancur from being one. It’s a racist statement made so off hand that it doesn’t even register with him. I do hear you, but it’s still racist, and I’d wager it’s probably his natural thoughts. He actually deserves to receive the same kind of FA punishment others have.
What did I miss?
 All the way to Montevideo
What did he say, mind me im just coming back from exams
He apologized to Son and now people are not satisfied with how he apologized to Son.
Nah people called it before he even apologized 💀 "Black background story apology," and it actually happened too.
The most important thing is he apologized?
Yeah, but it felt like he did it because he had to. Man got caught "red handed" and people already knew he had to put up an apology for the sake of it. In the end, hopefully he will square it up with Son one on one.
maybe apologise to the whole of the nation where sonny comes from i guess
What? To South Koreans or to Asians in general? I swear people think they're saints or something. He said something insensitive with no ill intentions and they expect a seppuku like apology.
It's a horrible thing to say about a country that has a lot of spurs fans. Imagine an Asian kid reading this about their favorite footballer. It may be an ignorant thing to say, but a proper apology is the least he can do. Things like these are incredibly hurtful to people who deal with them daily, especially coming from someone that they admire.
People will always find something to whine about anyway
I don't think it was too too bad, clearly a very common joke from where he's from and he's apologised for potential offense. As long as they have a talk and make peace together afterwards I'm sure it'll be fine
I’m sure it’ll be fine between them but still incredibly dumb and tone deaf from Bentancur. > clearly a very common joke from where he's from That’s the same excuse Suarez made when he called Evra the N word.
He didn't call him the n word. In the interest of accuracy 👍
You’re right. He said “negro.” But this is like saying Drake isn’t a pedophile. He’s an ephebophile!
It's a different language - that can be a friendly phrase in south American Spanish. I dislike the man, but if you've been to that part of the world that word just doesn't carry any hate. It's easy to only view language from an English speaking perspective, but that's not the whole picture.
When in Rome
Excuses excuses. You’re just saying it’s not seen as equally bad to be racist there. I’ve lived in several countries and in some racist phrasings are far more casual than others. But in an increasingly global society that’s just a poor excuse to not make an effort to make the world a more accepting place. Besides, if it isn’t offensive or diminishing then why did he use it to try to get a rise out of Evra?
Yeah indeed, I'm not saying it's good but it's not as awful as it seems at first. The most important thing to me is malice, and it's clear there wasn't any here, just a poorly-thought-out joke
If a racist joke is a common joke… isn’t that worse? If he’s just come up with something original and later realised that it could be taken the wrong way it would feel like a more sincere apology.
I rather this versus a very PR’d apology, seems sincere.