Three games of suspension. This is the sanction imposed on Edinson Cavani, the Manchester United striker and top scorer in the history of PSG, for the message considered racist that he had published on Instagram at the end of November, announced the English football federation (FA ).
“A comment posted on the Manchester United striker’s Instagram profile was insulting, abusive, inappropriate and damaged the game. The post also constitutes a aggravated offense because it included a reference, express or implied, to the color and / or to the race and / or to the ethnicity ”, indicates the FA in a statement diffused on its Internet site. Cavani is also fined 100,000 pounds sterling (111,000 euros) and will have to undergo training.
I message him in question: «Thank you black»
In response to a congratulatory message sent to him by a friend after his decisive double in Manchester United’s victory at Southampton (3-2), Cavani wrote “Gracias negrito” (“thank you little black”). After deleting the message, the former PSG scorer apologized and the Red Devils defended him by explaining that the word had been used with friendly intent, and that it had a different connotation in South America.
These explanations were not enough to prevent him from being suspended. “He chose not to appeal the decision, out of respect and solidarity with the FA and the fight against racism in football,” Manchester United said in a statement. “The club hopes that the independent disciplinary commission will clearly indicate in its written reasons that Edinson Cavani is not racist and that there was no racist intention in relation to his message”, underlines the club Mancunien.
Due to his suspension, Cavani will not be able to play in the Premier League game against Aston Villa on Friday. He will also miss the League Cup semi-final against Manchester City and the FA Cup third round against Watford.
