Man United striker Edinson Cavani could face 3-game ban following alleged racist abuse

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has potentially landed himself in trouble after an investigation was launched into the Uruguayan using discriminatory or racist language on social media. The 33-year-old made a massive impact on Sunday for the Red Devils, playing a part in all three goals as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men came from 2-0 down to win the match at St Mary's. I found guilty, Cavani could be banned for three games, a huge blow for Man United as they hope to make ground on their disastrous start to the Premier League season. 

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Edinson Cavani racist abuse: Man United striker could face three-game ban for Instagram story 

According to a report by The Guardian, the Football Association (FA) are currently investigating an Instagram story posted by Edinson Cavani in the aftermath of Man United's dramatic 3-2 win over Southampton. The story which was later deleted had the words “gracias negrito!” which was used to thank a follower who congratulated the former Paris Saint-Germain man on his impressive impact. The report states that social media postings are covered by FA Rule E3, and if a comment is deemed to include a reference to a person’s ethnic origin, colour, race or nationality, then it will be perceived as a potentially aggravating factor in any punishment.

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The FA rules also make it clear that the owners of social media accounts are responsible for any content posted from their account, whether by themselves or by a third party. Furthermore, deleting an inappropriate post does not necessarily prevent a sanction from being imposed. Last season, Manchester City star Bernardo Silva received a one-game ban after posting and then deleting a tweet comparing his teammate Benjamin Mendy to the cartoon figure on a brand of Spanish chocolate. The Guardian reported that if FA decides to sanction Cavani, the Uruguayan international will be informed in the next few days asking for his written observations and all charges will be imposed by Monday if any.

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Incidentally the word in question – “negrito” – was the same one used by Edinson Cavani’s friend and Uruguay teammate Luis Suárez to Patrice Evra during a game between Liverpool and Manchester United in 2011. The then-Liverpool striker had pleaded innocence suggesting that the word was a term of affection and not proposed as a form of racial abuse. However, his appeals were rejected by the FA and he was subsequently handed an eight-match ban. Man United are yet to respond to the news of a potential Edinson Cavani ban, but are likely to make their best case, especially after his heroics on Sunday. 

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(Image Courtesy: Edinson Cavani Instagram)