Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has been banned for three games by the FA following a social media post in November.
Cavani will now miss United’s home game with Aston Villa, the Carabao Cup clash with Manchester City and the FA Cup game with Watford.
The FA have confirmed they are investigating the Uruguayan’s post following United’s 3-2 win over Southampton, a game Cavani played in coming off the bench to score twice in victory.
It has now been confirmed that Cavani has been charged with improper conduct, with the United man having a three-game ban and a £ 10,000 fine. The 33-year-old has chosen not to challenge the decision and will take an education course.
In the Instagram post – which was later deleted – the words “gracias negrito” were used
by the former Paris Saint-Germain striker thanking a fan who commented on the status.
United have since responded to the news and have defended their striker’s action, with the following statement released by the club: “As he said, Edinson Cavani was unaware that his words could have been misinterpreted and he s ‘I sincerely apologize for the message and to anyone who has been offended, ”the statement read as reported by MEN.
“Despite his sincere belief that he was simply sending a loving thank you in response to a congratulatory message from a close friend, he chose not to challenge the accusation out of respect and solidarity with the FA and the fight against racism in the soccer. .
“While it is clear that context and intent are key factors, we note that the Independent Regulatory Commission was required to impose a minimum three-game suspension. The club hope the Independent Regulatory Commission will make it clear in its written reasons that Edinson Cavani is not racist, and there was also no racist intent in relation to his post. “
