Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani is facing a Football Association investigation after using controversial language in a social media post.
After playing a key role in his team’s dramatic 3-2 comeback against Southampton, Cavani shared a congratulatory Instagram story from a friend on his story ‘Gracias negrito’, which literally means The translation is ‘thank you, little black’.
? lethal.
? #MUFC
#️⃣ #Simon
? #PL pic.twitter.com/zP0ZexvcFP
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 29, 2020
As The Times notes, United are set to investigate the now-deleted post, but are expected to point to the fact that the controversial word is actually offensive in Uruguay. Rather than being is a term of endearment.
Kewanee has apologized to the club but clarified that it was a friendly term used in a celebratory message, hoping that the context would show that it was not a slur or racist. Didn’t talk.
The incident has drawn comparisons to fellow Uruguayan Luis Suarez’s accusation of racial abuse against Patrice Evra in 2011. The then-Liverpool forward was banned for eight games for using similar language, despite claims the term meant something different in Uruguay.
Suarez was found racially abusing Evra/Sean Bottrell/Getty Images
If anything, it is more similar to the controversy surrounding Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva last season. The Portugal international was banned for a tweet that jokingly compared team-mate Benjamin Mendy to a cartoon character, which failed to convince the FA that there was no malicious intent. .
The FA made it clear at the start of the current season that any discriminatory behavior on social media would lead to a minimum three-game suspension, while incidents during games could lead to anywhere between six and 12 game bans. can.
United hope Cavani’s defense will work / Poll/Getty Images
It is up to the FA to decide whether Cavani’s claim of cultural misunderstanding will be sufficient. United officials will certainly be hoping to avoid any punishment, seeing what impact the striker can make on the pitch against Southampton.
Cavani came off the bench at half-time to score two goals and an assist to fire United to a club-record eighth Premier League win.
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