MANCHESTER Utd star Alejandro Garnacho is being spoken to by the FA over deleted social media messages about team-mate Andre Onana, it’s understood.
Onana had spared United’s blushes with a match-winning penalty save against FC Copenhagen in their Champions League group stage match on Wednesday night.
And the young Argentine posted a snap of himself and other United players celebrating Onana’s heroics on Twitter – including two gorilla emojis.
Despite swiftly editing then deleting the post, the FA were alerted to it and have since liaised with the 19-year-old winger to investigate the matter.
And while there is no suggestion of racism behind the message, it is likely the athlete will be hit with a suspension if the Football Association adopt the same approach they have in the past.
Previously, the FA has punished footballers over other controversial social media postings that were viewed as offensive – even if the meaning was unintended.
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But Onana has since taken to social media to defend his young teammate.
Over two Instagram stories, he wrote: “People cannot choose what I should be offended by.
“I know exactly what @garnacho7 meant: power and strength.
“This matter should go no further.”
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Garnacho has also shared Onana’s defence of him on his own Instagram.
In 2020, then-United striker Edinson Cavani was suspended for three games for writing “Gracias Negrito” to a friend – with an FA commission finding it a racial term.
The Uruguay striker asserted that the message “was intended as an affectionate greeting to a friend” following an apology.
Cavani was slapped with a £100,000 fine and made to complete face-to-face education.
The previous year, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva picked up a one-match ban and £50,000 fine for posting the image of the popular Conguitos chocolate bar, which has long been accused of racist undertones.
And while the swiftness of the post’s deletion and Garnacho’s youth will be factors taken into account, he may yet be made to pay for a moment’s unintentional foolishness.
The FA are aware of the post in question and have sought Garnacho’s observations on it.
The Sun has approached Manchester United for comment.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
