MANCHESTER United star Andre Onana has broken his silence on Alejandro Garnacho’s controversial social media post.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper, 27, came to United’s rescue with a late penalty save against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
It allowed his side to hold on to a vital 1-0 win, sparking jubilant scenes among players and fans alike at Old Trafford.
Argentine winger Garnacho later took to X, formerly Twitter, and posted a snap of the players celebrating with Onana following the penalty heroics – captioned with two gorilla emojis.
He swiftly edited and then deleted the post, but the FA has been alerted and are liaising with the 19-year-old as part of a probe into the matter.
There’s no suggestion of racism behind the message, but he may face a suspension if the FA adopt the same approach they have in the past.
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However, Onana has now taken to his own social media to defend the teenager.
Over two Instagram stories, he said: “People cannot choose what I should be offended by.
“I know exactly what @garnacho7 meant: power and strength. This matter should go no further.”
The comments were shared by Garnacho on his own Instagram account.
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But the FA is understood to have sought Garnacho’s observations on the original post.
Speaking about the post today, United manager Erik Ten Hag said: “We are talking with the FA. I can confirm that and want to emphasise we are together.
“We are United and you see that in the post of Andre Onana.”
It comes after Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani was suspended for three games for writing “Gracias Negrito” to a friend while playing for United in 2020 – after the footballing body found it a racial term.
Cavani asserted the message “was intended as an affectionate greeting to a friend” following an apology.
But he was slapped with a £100,000 fine and made to complete face-to-face education.
A year earlier, Manchester City’s Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva was handed a one-match ban and £50,000 fine after he posted an image of the popular Conguitos chocolate bar, which has long been accused of racist undertones.
The Sun has approached Manchester United for comment.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
