Girona’s Cristhian Stuani and Uruguayan players across the world are sharing the Uruguayan Players Association’s statement in defence of Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani.
Cavani was recently handed a three-game ban, £100,000 fine and the requirement to complete education on racism after using the term ‘Negrito’ on social media.
At the time, Cavani was branded a ‘racist’ by some after he used the word in reply to a congratulatory message from a friend on Instagram after firing the Red Devils to a comeback win against Southampton.
The Uruguayan equivalent of the PFA have viciously hit back at the FA’s handling of the incident, stating that English football’s leading governing body are in fact the ones that have been ‘discriminatory’.
Their damning statement, which we’ve transcribed in full below, also calls for the 33-year-old’s ban to be overturned and his ‘good name and honour’ to be restored after the storm this has created.
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Here’s a transcript of the statement:
“The undersigned members of the Uruguayan Players Football Association (A.F.U.), composed of both the men and women professional and amateur sectors, including the different types, would like to state the following in response to the sanction imposed by the English Football Association (FA) on our colleague Edinson Cavani.”
“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. The sanction shows the 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 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 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 all against any kind of discrimination; however unfortunately, through it’s 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 also out 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 the people’s way 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.”
“Montevideo, 3 January 2021.”
Once again, it seems like those in charge of English football have made an almighty mistake in their handling of this incident.
With this in mind, should Cavani receive a public apology, the rescinding of his ban and the £100,000 fine immediately returned or were the FA right to punish the striker for using the term ‘negrito’?