Alejandro Garnacho, a rising star at Manchester United, recently found himself at the center of a social media controversy following a post related to his teammate, Andre Onana. The post, featuring two muscle-flexing monkey emojis, commended Onana for his crucial penalty save that secured Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League.
While Garnacho’s intent was to praise Onana’s strength and athleticism, the use of monkey emojis raised concerns and accusations of racial insensitivity, particularly in the context of European culture, which deems such imagery as offensive and racially insensitive.
The Football Association (FA) has taken notice of the post and requested an explanation from Garnacho through Manchester United. Sanctions from the FA are a possibility, as the use of such symbols is considered a breach of FA regulations, regardless of Garnacho’s intentions.
Andre Onana, however, has come to Garnacho’s defense, urging that the controversy surrounding the social media post should not be blown out of proportion. He believes that Garnacho’s post was intended to express admiration and strength rather than promoting racial insensitivity.
Onana took to his own social media account to express his perspective: “People can’t choose to get offended by anything, can they? I know exactly what @garnacho7 meant with that post. It’s about power and strength. This shouldn’t go any further.” Alongside this comment, Onana posted a picture of himself celebrating with his Manchester United teammates, including Garnacho.
While Onana’s supportive stance has garnered some positive reactions from fans who believe that teammates should stand up for each other, it’s important to note that previous incidents involving players’ remarks or social media posts have resulted in sanctions from the FA, even when no harm was intended.
In the 2020-2021 season, Manchester United’s Edinson Cavani was suspended for three matches and fined £100,000 for using the phrase “Gracias Negrito” to thank a friend who had congratulated him. In South America, this phrase is a common and affectionate expression. However, in the UK, it carries a different meaning, which is racially insensitive. Despite Cavani’s genuine apology and clarification of his intent, the FA still penalized the Uruguayan striker.
“Edinson Cavani wasn’t aware that his words could be misinterpreted, and he sincerely apologized for the post and any offense it may have caused,” Manchester United stated in a press release at the time. “While we believe that Cavani only sent an affectionate thank-you message in response to a congratulatory message from a close friend, he chose not to contest the allegations out of respect and solidarity with the FA and the fight against racial discrimination in football. MU will also make it clear in writing that Edinson Cavani is not racially discriminatory and had no intention of promoting any form of racial discrimination through that post.”
The FA explained that Cavani’s punishment was in line with regulations, as his post constituted a “serious breach, whether clearly or implied, of skin color and/or race and/or ethnic origin.”
In the case of Garnacho’s post, the FA will likely consider similar factors and regulations, emphasizing the importance of addressing potential racial insensitivity in football.
