Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has sparked controversy and been labelled a ‘racist’ for an Instagram post after his match-winning performance against Southampton this afternoon.
Cavani, who came off the bench at halftime to contribute a game-winning two goals and an assist, responded to someone on his Instagram story with ‘Gracias Negrito’.
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The literal transition of those Spanish words is ‘thanks Black’, which has of course sparked controversy, but the use of the term may be seen as okay for want of a better word in some contexts.
Some fans have compared the incident to that of Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra, in which the then Liverpool striker was handed an eight-match ban for using the same word.
The tricky part was touched upon by the Independent at the time, which details that the term ‘negrito’ is used widely in Spanish-speaking areas within Latin American in both a derogatory and positive way.
Suarez got banned for 8 games for the saying this exact word. Wonder if they’ll be the same punishment for Cavani. Something tells me there won’t. ? https://t.co/exN55SbpC5
— Conor Raynor ? #19 (@MacaRaynor) November 29, 2020
Remeber Suarez got 8 match ban after saying Negrito to Evra? Well here's Cavani's Instagram post pic.twitter.com/CQqODFjB2Z
— Arne Magnus Lundby (@ArneMagnus) November 29, 2020
The incident has sparked some reaction from some Liverpool fans in particular, which has led to fierce debate on social media:
This just in, it was racist when Suarez said it and it’s racist when Cavani has said it. This “term of affection” thing didn’t fly the first time, so why now?
Surely we should be consistent in calling out racism, no matter who the player plays for?
— Jay (?x19) (@ScouseSocialism) November 29, 2020
Cavani using the word Suarez called Evra? i bet Cavani didn’t mean it in a racist way tho ?
— Andy (@AndyTheRed83) November 29, 2020
I am guessing Cavani is getting the same treatment as Suarez then pic.twitter.com/desTAbVarl
— Jay Chambers (@JChambersSN) November 29, 2020
Hope united fans gonna have the same energy for cavani as they did suarez. Both wrong. Both said the same thing. No excuses from either.
— Jonah (@jonahs___) November 29, 2020
Apparently some United fans now deem it to be acceptable for a player to be racist but only if said player wears a United kit for 90 minutes every week. Interesting! #cavani
— Ash McNally (@ash_mcnally90) November 29, 2020
All the united fans that set upon suarez for using the same term with Evra now defending Cavani in the replies lol https://t.co/POyP5KxKE3
— Scott Cheg (@armadableable) November 29, 2020
Suarez – racist
Cavani – Its fineKeep moving them goal posts ?
— Jota Believe Us (@hayb81) November 29, 2020
So Suarez is racist but cavani isn’t ….. boot on the other foot now hey @ManUtd ?????????? pic.twitter.com/InID27aR4Q
— Chris (@ChrisupastarLFC) November 29, 2020
Yes, Cavani should be punished, but bringing up Suarez, who was also rightly punished, as being victimized makes you look really dumb defending a racist @ LFCtwitter.
— VPIfan (@VPIfan) November 29, 2020
In the above case, it’s clear that Cavani has used the term in a pleasant manner as it’s accompanied by ‘gracias’ (‘thanks’), but the incident as still sparked serious controversy.
It remains to be seen whether this incident will be investigated by either Manchester United, the Premier League or Football Association.
In Spanish “Negrito” is a word you use to show affection to somebody usually a friend of yours. You have to remember that “Negro” is “black” in Spanish and that word doesn’t have the same connotation as in English. Is like telling somebody is “White”. It is just a color. Unfortunately there is no way to translate this type of words into English because the language doesn’t have word structures that allow a proper translation.
This is insane, does this mean I can’t use my language because I will hurt british sensibilities?, colonialism 2.0 I guess.
No man is above the law. Football fans should know that and as investigations go on cavani should be ready to face his punishment i remain a man.united fun always, and big-up to Donny Van De Beek for his nice and smart passes in Man.United’s victory over southampton.
He didn’t break any laws. He used a term, which in his language and culture is non-offensive.
There needs to be context added.
this racist thing is getting really out of hand now,i have loads of black friends, through working on the buses , I retired in 1999 , people are frightened to say anything these days,i met an old black driver a couple of months ago, and he asked me what the hell is happening in this world now, he then said Bob I was not offended when any other person called me coloured
and I did not take it as offensive and this BLM thing I regard that as offensive stired up by the biggest enemy the MEDIA ,and that is where the problem lies
Spot on, Rob!
Dude, you clearly just made that anecdote up, why do you resort to lying just to push your narrative??
Sorry, if people find the word ‘black’ regardless of its context, then they are racist. I’m white, somebody calls me ‘hey you white piece of shit’. I’ll be aggrieved at being called a piece of shit, the white side wouldn’t even register. Why would it. If I was black the same rules would apply, why wouldn’t they. Racism is in the eye of the beholder (in this particular case). I can’t even grasp other forms of racism. To me it’s the racists I see as different, and the only ones I perceive as less than me. Everyone else, I’m Just trying my best to be as good as. As is every other normal human in this life.