Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has reacted to a potential ban by the English FA over a now deleted post by Alejandro Garnacho about Cameronnoan goalkeeper and Manchester United teammate, Andre Onana.
The Red Devils youngster posted a photo of the Man Utd players congratulating Onana on his stoppage-time penalty save against Copenhagen in the Champions League, which secured Ten Hag’s side all three points.
Garnacho posted two gorilla emojis as the caption without words, with the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, quickly deleted.
The Argentina international could now be at risk of Football Association punishment but Onana leapt to his defence of his Man Utd team-mate, insisting the “matter should go no further”.
Onana wrote on X: “People cannot choose what I should be offended by. I know exactly what @agarnacho7 meant: power & strength. This matter should go no further.”
Now, manager, Ten Hag confirmed that Man Utd are currently talking to the FA about the post with the governing body asking Garnacho for his observations about his post.
Ten Hag said: “Not in this moment, we are talking with the FA, what you see, I can confirm that and I want to emphasise we are together, we are united, you saw that with the post of Andre.”
It’s not the first time other footballers have been banned for similar posts, even though it was with good intent.
Former United striker Edinson Cavani was banned for three games and fined £100,000 in 2020 for using the Spanish phrase ‘Gracias negrito’ – which translates as ‘thanks little black’ – below a friend’s Instagram post.
Cavani also underwent a two-hour face-to-face training course for a comment said to be a term of endearment in his native Uruguay.
In 2019, Bernardo Silva was given a one-match ban and fined £50,000 by the FA for his tweet to Manchester City colleague Benjamin Mendy.
Silva tweeted an image of a young Mendy alongside an image of the cartoon brand mascot of Spanish confectionery brand Conguitos, with the caption “Guess who?”
Cavani and Silva were both punished by the FA after deleting their messages.
