Garnacho avoids FA charge for Onana social media post،
Alejandro Garnacho has avoided disciplinary action from the English Football Association (FA) over an Instagram post directed at his Manchester United teammate André Onana, but the player has been warned over his use of social media.
Argentina winger Garnacho posted a photo of Onana alongside two gorilla emojis after the goalkeeper saved a stoppage-time penalty against FC Copenhagen, which sealed a 3-2 Group A win of the Champions League last month.
Garnacho’s post sparked widespread criticism on social media and led to calls for the player to be charged by the FA for using a racial stereotype in his post about Cameroon international Onana, who quickly defended his teammate saying he was not offended by the message.
The FA has previously imposed suspensions and fines on former United striker Edinson Cavani and Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva for their use of what was deemed to be racially charged language on social media. .
But after investigating the post and communicating with Garnacho, the FA have confirmed that no action will be taken against the player.
“We have concluded an investigation into a recent social media post from Alejandro Garnacho. We requested comments from the player as part of our investigation, and he explained that the use of two gorilla emojis was intended to “showcase the strength and power of his teammates – particularly André Onana and Harry Maguire – following the crucial role they played in Manchester United’s victory against FC Copenhagen,” a spokesperson said. FA.
“We are satisfied with Alejandro Garnacho’s explanation and the context it provides, which is why we will not initiate disciplinary proceedings on this occasion.
“However, we have reminded the player of their responsibilities regarding posts on social networks and in particular the use of emojis which can be interpreted in different ways.
“We also intend to liaise with Kick It Out and the PFA to discuss other potential issues surrounding the use of emojis and similar forms of messaging, as well as the education that can be provided About them.”
