FA branded ‘discriminatory and racist’ over Cavani suspension
The Uruguayan Football Players Association has hit out at the three-match suspension given to Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani by the FA.
Cavani was suspended for three games, fined £100,000 and told to complete an education course for positing on social media referring to “negrito”.
The FA stated that his actions “constitute an aggravated breach” of their rules.
The Uruguayan PFA, however, has hit back at the decision.
“Far from condemning racism, the English Football Association has itself committed a discriminatory act against the culture and the way of life of the Uruguayan people,” it says in a statement. “The sanction shows the English Football Association’s biased, dogmatic and ethnocentric vision that only allows a subjective interpretation to be made from its particular and excluding conclusion, however flawed it may be.
“Edinson Cavani has never committed any conduct that could be interpreted as racist. He merely used a common expression in Latin America to affectionaly 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-racist 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 our whole culture, our way of life, which is a truly discriminatory and racist act.”
Cavani has played 14 times for United and has contributed four goals and two assists.