Uruguayan Footballers Seek Overturn of ‘Unfair’ Ban on Cavani

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Uruguayan Football Players’ Association (AFU) has requested that the English Football Association overturn the suspension of Manchester United striker, Edinson Cavani.

This was contained in a press statement seen by Business Post on Monday.

The Uruguayan was hit with a three-match ban and told to pay a fine of £100,000. The former PSG goal poacher, who joined the Red Devils on a free transfer this season, was also told to complete a face-to-face education course after using the word “negrito” while talking to a friend on Instagram back in November.

The statement released via captain Diego Godín’s social media on Monday urged the English FA to reconsider their punishment of the Uruguay International.

“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,” a part of the lengthy statement, shared by a number of Cavani’s international team-mates, stated.

“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.”

Earlier, the Uruguayan Spanish language academy labelled the football association as ignorant.

Cavani was made aware after posting the comment about how the phrase ‘negrito’ is understood in the United Kingdom and quickly deleted the post. He also issued an apology insisting he was completely opposed to racism.

However, Uruguayans argued that the term Cavani used was meant as a term of endearment and is commonly used in the South American country.

They strongly rejected Cavani’s punishment and said the FA’s questionable resolution was the result of “poverty of cultural and linguistic knowledge”.

The statement argued that the FA had “committed a serious injustice to a Uruguayan athlete of the highest international level and has exposed ignorance… regarding the use of language and in particular Spanish, without taking note of all its complexities and contexts.”

According to the English FA, Cavani breached FA Rule E3.2 by referencing “whether express or implied, to colour and/or race and/or ethnic origin”, and it seems unlikely that his ban will be overturned.