Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani is facing an FA probe into a social media post that featured the word ‘negrito’.
House of Cavani 133 - 135 New John Street West Birmingham B6 4LD Any other enquiries Email: info@cavani.co.uk Facebook: House of Cavani Feel free to ask us any questions you may have, we endeavour to answer your messages within 48 hours. Manchester City star Bernardo Silva was banned for one game and fined £50,000 ($64k) by the FA in 2019 for a racially insensitive tweet which was directed at his team-mate Benjamin Mendy. Cavani posted a controversial tweet after United's win Robin Jones/Getty Images.
The 33-year-old frontman inspired United to a comeback 3-2 victory over Southampton on Sunday, with two goals and an assist after coming off the bench at half-time.
But Cavani could now find himself in hot water for the post on Instagram, which appeared shortly after the victory and has now been deleted.
Replying to a message of congratulations, Cavani wrote in Spanish: ‘Gracias negrito’.
United stressed on Sunday evening the word has different connotations in South America, where Cavani is from.
The club said the 33-year-old Uruguayan had been made aware such terms are perceived very differently in the UK, and he subsequently deleted the post.
On social media, a host of South American football fans defended Cavani.
They explained that in Spanish-speaking Latin America the phrase is said affectionately to friends, often used in the way many Britons might say ‘mate’, and is not a racist term.
Nevertheless, it is expected the Football Association will launch an investigation over Cavani’s post.
The FA issued guidelines ahead of this season clamping down on racist and discriminatory language and behaviour, with offences on social media carrying a minimum three-game ban.
Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Tottenham ace Dele Alli were both suspended for one match last season after posts that breached FA guidelines.
Alli was banned and fined for posting a video of himself wearing a mask in an airport lounge on February 6, before zooming in on an Asian man with the caption ‘Corona whatttt’, with the Spurs man accused of racial stereotyping.
Meanwhile, Silva received a one-match ban after posting and then deleting a tweet comparing his Man City teammate Benjamin Mendy to the cartoon figure on a brand of Spanish chocolate.
‘Negrito” was the same word Luis Suarez claimed he used towards Patrice Evra during a game between Liverpool and Manchester United in 2011.
Suarez – a close friend of Cavani’s and a teammate with the Uruguay national team – argued that the word was a term of endearment and not intended as a form of racial abuse.
However, the FA’s disciplinary panel rejected this explanation given the ‘context of heated exchanges between the players’ and Suarez was banned for eight matches.
The FA did not wish to comment when approached on Sunday night, but it is understood the governing body will launch a probe into the online post.
Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has sparked controversy and been labelled a ‘racist’ for an Instagram post after his match-winning performance against Southampton this afternoon.
Cavani, who came off the bench at halftime to contribute a game-winning two goals and an assist, responded to someone on his Instagram story with ‘Gracias Negrito’.
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The literal transition of those Spanish words is ‘thanks Black’, which has of course sparked controversy, but the use of the term may be seen as okay for want of a better word in some contexts.
Some fans have compared the incident to that of Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra, in which the then Liverpool striker was handed an eight-match ban for using the same word.
The tricky part was touched upon by the Independent at the time, which details that the term ‘negrito’ is used widely in Spanish-speaking areas within Latin American in both a derogatory and positive way.
Suarez got banned for 8 games for the saying this exact word. Wonder if they’ll be the same punishment for Cavani. Something tells me there won’t. ? https://t.co/exN55SbpC5
— Conor Raynor ? #19 (@MacaRaynor) November 29, 2020
Remeber Suarez got 8 match ban after saying Negrito to Evra? Well here's Cavani's Instagram post pic.twitter.com/CQqODFjB2Z
— Arne Magnus Lundby (@ArneMagnus) November 29, 2020
The incident has sparked some reaction from some Liverpool fans in particular, which has led to fierce debate on social media:
This just in, it was racist when Suarez said it and it’s racist when Cavani has said it. This “term of affection” thing didn’t fly the first time, so why now?
Surely we should be consistent in calling out racism, no matter who the player plays for?
— Jay (?x19) (@ScouseSocialism) November 29, 2020
Cavani using the word Suarez called Evra? i bet Cavani didn’t mean it in a racist way tho ?
— Andy (@AndyTheRed83) November 29, 2020
I am guessing Cavani is getting the same treatment as Suarez then pic.twitter.com/desTAbVarl
— Jay Chambers (@JChambersSN) November 29, 2020
Hope united fans gonna have the same energy for cavani as they did suarez. Both wrong. Both said the same thing. No excuses from either.
— Jonah (@jonahs___) November 29, 2020
Apparently some United fans now deem it to be acceptable for a player to be racist but only if said player wears a United kit for 90 minutes every week. Interesting! #cavani
— Ash McNally (@ash_mcnally90) November 29, 2020
All the united fans that set upon suarez for using the same term with Evra now defending Cavani in the replies lol https://t.co/POyP5KxKE3
— Scott Cheg (@armadableable) November 29, 2020
Suarez – racist
Cavani – Its fine
Keep moving them goal posts ?
— Jota Believe Us (@hayb81) November 29, 2020
So Suarez is racist but cavani isn’t ….. boot on the other foot now hey @ManUtd ?????????? pic.twitter.com/InID27aR4Q
— Chris (@ChrisupastarLFC) November 29, 2020
Yes, Cavani should be punished, but bringing up Suarez, who was also rightly punished, as being victimized makes you look really dumb defending a racist @ LFCtwitter.
— VPIfan (@VPIfan) November 29, 2020
In the above case, it’s clear that Cavani has used the term in a pleasant manner as it’s accompanied by ‘gracias’ (‘thanks’), but the incident as still sparked serious controversy.
What Did Cavani Tweet
It remains to be seen whether this incident will be investigated by either Manchester United, the Premier League or Football Association.
Cavani Post