As reported by BBC, Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho will not face any disciplinary action from the Football Association (FA) for a social media post concerning teammate Andre Onana.
The 19-year-old found himself in controversy after posting a photo celebrating Onana’s penalty save in their Champions League victory over Copenhagen last month.
The post included two gorilla emojis, which drew criticism from fans who deemed it offensive.
Garnacho promptly removed the post, and Onana subsequently defended his teammate in an Instagram post.
Following an investigation, the Football Association (FA) has concluded that there will be no disciplinary action taken against the young player.
“We are satisfied with Alejandro Garnacho’s explanation and the context that it provides, so we will not be issuing disciplinary proceedings on this occasion.”
“However, we have reminded the player of his responsibilities around social media posts and the use of emojis in particular which can be interpreted in different ways.”
FA will take no disciplinary action against Garnacho over his gorilla emoji Instagram post. They are satisfied with player’s explanation. pic.twitter.com/WQpkOpuYzQ
— Paul Hirst (@hirstclass) November 7, 2023
The Argentine ace has avoided punishment for his social media post about Onana, despite previous instances of footballers facing consequences for similar actions.
One example is former Man United player Edinson Cavani, who received a three-match ban and a £100,000 fine for using the term “negrito” in an Instagram post, which was considered offensive.
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Also, Man City’s Bernardo Silva faced a fine and a one-game ban for sharing a controversial social media post about his teammate Benjamin Mendy.
While Garnacho likely had no harmful intentions with his post, the incident serves as a reminder that as a prominent footballer, every action on and off the pitch is closely observed.
The 19-year-old should be more careful in the future to avoid such troubles.
