Andre Onana has defended Manchester United team-mate Alejandro Garnacho and insisted he does not deserve a ban for a controversial social media post.
Following the goalkeeper's last-gasp penalty save to earn his side a win over Copenhagen in the Champions League, Garnacho posted a picture of him and other United players celebrating with Onana, and added two gorilla emojis.
Garnacho swiftly deleted the post, but he is facing a possible ban and has been asked for his observations by the FA.
Onana took to social media himself on Thursday to explain his understanding of Garnacho's post, and to state his belief that there should be no investigation.
He tweeted: "People cannot choose what I should be offended by. I know exactly what [Garnacho] meant: Power and strength.
"This matter should go no further."
People cannot choose what I should be offended by.
— Andre Onana (@AndreyOnana) October 26, 2023
I know exactly what @agarnacho7 meant: power & strength.
This matter should go no further.
AO24 pic.twitter.com/RDzhwLI3BX
In 2021, Edinson Cavani received a three-match ban and was fined £100,000 while a United player after it was deemed a social media post contained a "racially offensive" term.
Cavani used the Spanish phrase when thanking a fan and deleted it when he was informed it could be seen as offensive, receiving his punishment despite the FA finding he was not intentionally racist.
Four years ago, Bernardo Silva was handed a one-match suspension and received a £50,000 fine after comparing then team-mate Benjamin Mendy to a character on a packet of Conguitos, a chocolate brand in Spain and Portugal.
Mendy wrote to the commission to confirm he did find the tweet offensive and the FA believed Silva "did not intend" for the post to be racist, but the Portuguese star was hit with a ban and a fine because "many persons" would have taken offence to the tweet.
