Edinson Cavani Banned for Instagram Post

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has been banned for three games because he called his friend "negrito" on Instagram. I know how it sounds, but as someone who has experienced the culture I can assure you that word is used with the same connotation as "buddy". Cavani is from Uruguay, the little country between Argentina and Brazil, and over there they use that word in an endearing manner.

First of all, this is a post! It's not him racially insulting a referee or a player on the pitch. It's not him saying "down with negritos". It's a THANKFUL response to a friend of his. That brings me to my next point, it's to his FRIEND. Not a player, but one of the few people he follows. No one knows who this Pablo is, but if the horses give any indication, he's a simple dude living in Uruguay, with wifi connection.

"While it is clear that context and intent are key factors, we note that the independent Regulatory Commission was required to impose a minimum three game suspension."  - FA

Not only does he get a three-game ban, Cavani has been fined €100,000 and must complete face-to-face education after admitting the charge for breach of FA rule E3. Give me a break! Our kids have to Zoom into class but Cavani has to meet in person to get "educated". Racism is unfortunately a huge problem in soccer, but I don't think his behavior warrants this strong accusation and punishment. He has no bad track record to speak of.

Cavani made a public statement and apologized. He wasn't aware that his words could have been misconstrued and wrote a sincere apology for his post. The man did all the right things, and he still gets hit.

I love the guy and I feel bad for him. But as a Liverpool fan I can't say I'm that upset.