Manchester United hot sensation, Edinson Cavani has apologised for a social media post where he made a racially insensitive comment after helping Manchester United win Southampton 3-2 on Sunday, November 29.
After guiding Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to victory against Southampton where he scored twice in the second half, the 33-year-old veteran striker replied to a friend’s congratulatory message with ‘Gracias ni***’ a term which could be seen as racist in the UK.
He deleted the post after he was made aware of how the wording could be interpreted in the UK as the Football Association could possibly ban him.
It is understood the striker believed he was acting in a friendly manner with a mate and didn’t intend to be racist.
In a statement on Monday, November 30, Cavani apologised for any offence he might have caused, he said: “The message I posted after the game on Sunday was intended as an affectionate greeting to a friend, thanking him for his congratulations after the game.
“The last thing I wanted to do was cause offence to anyone. I am completely opposed to racism and deleted the message as soon as it was explained that it can be interpreted differently. I would like to sincerely apologise for this.”
A statement from Manchester United added: “It is clear to us that there was absolutely no malicious intent behind Edinson’s message and he deleted it as soon as he was informed that it could be misconstrued.
“Edinson has issued an apology for any unintentional offence caused. Manchester United and all of our players are fully committed to the fight against racism.”