Who is Rodrigo Bentancur? Controversies, career stats, and nickname explained
Of all the midfielders in Tottenham’s squad, Rodrigo Bentancur might just be the best, but he’s also been the subject of some controversy, too. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Uruguayan has been at Spurs for a few years now, and on his day, has showcased his incredible abilities in the middle of the park.
Bentancur‘s time at Tottenham has been blighted by injuries, though, and more recently, a couple of controversial situations that have tarnished his name a little.
So, who is Rodrigo Bentancur? Where did he come from? And what is his Lolo nickname all about? Let us explain it all to you here.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s controversies explained
The most recent and most notable issue regarding Bentancur’s behaviour came during the summer of 2024, when he made a racially-offensive joke about his teammate, Heung-min Son.
In an interview with a Uruguayan media outlet, Bentancur allegedly joked that all South Koreans look alike. He apologised profusely in the aftermath, and Heung-min Son has very publicly forgiven and forgotten all about it.
But, Bentancur got into hot water with the FA for the comments which were regarded as a breach of Rule E3 in relation to media interviews. He faces a suspension of up to 12 weeks if found guilty of the charge (ESPN).
Aside from this, Bentancur received a four-match ban at international level earlier this year after being involved in a post-match incident involving Uruguay and Colombia supporters at the Copa America. Bentancur was seen throwing bottles into the crowd.
One other incident that is worth mentioning, but which didn’t cause too much of a stir, is that Bentancur lashed out and kicked one of the seats in the Spurs dugout after being substituted in a game towards the end of the 2023/24 campaign, once again showing his propensity for ill-discipline.
Where did Spurs sign Rodrigo Bentancur from?
Tottenham signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus, after the Italian side deemed him surplus to requirements in January 2022.
He began his career with Boca Juniors in Argentina, making 66 appearances for the club between 2015 and 2017 (Transfermarkt). He won the Argentinian league twice, and also won the Argentinian domestic cup.
While in Italy, Bentancur made 181 appearances for Juventus. He won Serie A three times with the Turin outfit, as well as two Coppa Italia trophies, and two Italian Super Cups.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s market value
Rodrigo Bentancur is valued at just under £30m in the current transfer market, and he is paid £75,000 per week by Spurs.
Transfermarkt data puts Bentancur’s price tag at €35.00m, taking into account he is now 27-years-old and that his contract expires in 2026.
According to information from Spotrac, Bentancur’s annual salary is £3.9m, which puts him in line with other Spurs players like Fraser Forster and Guglielmo Vicario.
Why is Rodrigo Bentancur called Lolo?
Rodrigo Bentancur is often referred to endearingly as Lolo by those closest to him, and it’s all because his little brother couldn’t say Rodrigo when they were younger.
Discussing the nickname (via The Sun), Bentancur explained: “Everyone calls me Lolo, because when he was young my little brother couldn’t pronounce ‘Rodrigo’. He said ‘Loligo’, so it stayed ‘Lolo’.”
This is a very similar story to Cristian Romero and his Cuti nickname, which originated from his own inability to say his name, and his sister deciding Cuti would be easier.
A top player for club and country
When he is fully fit (and well behaved), Bentancur is considered one of the most important players at Tottennham, and he is a regular for his country, too.
He very quickly made a positive impression at Tottenham under Antonio Conte in the backend of the 2021/22 campaign, proving to be a calm and composed enforcer in the midfield area.
In the following season, Bentancur began to show what he could do in a more attacking role, scoring six goals (Transfermarkt). However, his season was cut short by injury, and he’s not quite managed to get back to his best consistently since.
At the time of writing, Bentancur has amassed 65 caps for Uruguay and scored three goals. He made his debut back in 2017, and has only ever missed out due to injuries or suspensions since.
Bentancur has represented his country at two World Cups and three Copa Americas.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s injury issues
The 2022/23 season was a nightmare for Bentancur in terms of injuries. He suffered a minor head injury in August, an adductor issue kept him out of five games in December and January, and then worst of all, he suffered a cruciate ligament tear in February that saw him miss roughly eight months.
After scoring against Leicester City on February 19, 2023, Bentancur was hit with the ACL injury just after the hour mark and had to undergo an intense few months of rehabilitation.
He was expected to be out longer than eight months, but made a fairly quick recovery and returned to action at the end of October 2023. However, just four games later, he was out again for another six games with an ankle ligament issue.
Here’s hoping Bentancur can stay fit and healthy this season and put together another good run of form like the one we saw previously, to prove that wasn’t just a flash in the pan.
Rodrigo Bentancur’s height, weight, and other personal info
Bentancur is a tall, lean player, coming in at 1.87m tall and weighing just 72kg, but he is still a strong player on the pitch.
He was born on January 25, 1997, in Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay. His full name is Rodrigo Bentancur Colmán. His mother and father were both from Uruguay (his mother is deceased), and he has a younger brother, named Darmian. He also has two step-siblings, twin sisters.
Bentancur has been dating Melanya La Banca, an Argentine-Uruguayan, since 2015. They have one child together, a daughter.
He is active on Instagram where he has 1.8m followers. He is not active on X, but does have an account that he used up until 2017.
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