Uruguay Players Want Cavani’s Three-Game Ban Overturned
The Uruguayan Football Players Association (AFU) have called on the English FA to quickly overturn a three-game ban imposed on Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani for an offensive social media post.
Cavani received several congratulatory messages on social media after climbing off the bench to provide an assist and score a brace in Manchester United’s 3-2 win at Southampton on November 29, but he used the phrase ‘gracias negrito’, a term with a racial connotation in England, to appreciate one from a friend.
Cavani quickly deleted the message after he was made aware of its implications in England but the Football Association had already taken note and launched an investigation, which saw the Uruguayan banned.
The 33-year-old apologised for the post and insisted he meant no malice.
The AFU statement said: "Firstly, we must condemn the arbitrary conduct of the English Football Association. Far from condemning racism, the English Football Association has itself committed a discriminatory act against the culture and way of life of the Uruguayan people.
"Edinson Cavani has never committed any conduct that could be interpreted as racist. He merely used a common expression in Latin America to affectionately address a loved one or close friend. To sustain that the only way to obtain a valid interpretation in life is that which lies in the minds of the managers of the English Football Association is actually a true discriminatory act, which is completely reprehensible and against Uruguayan culture.
"We would therefore like to publicly defend Edinson Cavani's impeccable character and of course our country's culture. We are against any kind of discrimination; however unfortunately, through its sanction, the English Football Association expresses absolute ignorance and disdain for a multicultural vision of the world, respectful of its plurality, by erroneously, unilaterally and rigidly imposing its anti-racism rules, the basis of which we support but are obviously not realistically applicable to the case in question here.
"It has not just punished one person, but also our whole culture, our way of life, which is truly a discriminatory and racist act.
"Lastly, we urge the English Football Association to review its decision-making processes related to these issues immediately so that it does not commit any similar injustice ever again. Its regulations should take into account the plurality of people's ways of life and cultures. The first rule to fight against racism is to respect such different ways of life and cultures.
"By virtue of the foregoing, we request the FA to immediately overturn the sanction imposed on Edinson Cavani and reinstate his good name and honour in the world that has been so unfairly tarnished by this reprehensible decision."
