Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has been condemned by Kick It Out for his since-deleted tweet comparing teammate Benjamin Mendy with the mascot of Spanish confectionery brand Conguitos.
Kick it Out called on the FA to take disciplinary action against Silva for an offending social media post about team-mate Benjamin Mendy.
The FA has now reached Man City about the post which was hastily deleted on social media on Sunday.
Bernardo Silva tweeted a photo –
of Mendy as a child beside a dated image from Spanish confectionary ‘Conguitos’ that has been criticized for its racist connotations, with the caption: “Guess who?”.
The attacking midfielder deleted the entry before commenting: “Can’t even joke with a friend these days…You guys…”
The FA has confirmed it will review the matter and Kick It Out, football’s justice and inclusion organization want to see punishment meted out.
What did the Football Federation say?
“We are extremely disappointed to see the tweet posted by Bernardo Silva, which has since been deleted. Racist institutions are never acceptable as ‘banter’, and we’re shocked that someone who is a role model to millions has failed to understand the discriminatory nature of his post.
“The FA has been notified and we believe that retrospective action should be considered, including mandatory education – which is vital to challenge offensive behavior such as this.”
Silva tried to defuse the discussion saying the initial post was a joke between friends, Mendy a long-term teammate at City and former club Monaco.
Mandy was offended or Not?
Mendy himself had explained he was not offended by Silva’s posting responding with a smiley emoji.
The tweet from Bernardo Silva came less than 24 hours after he scored a hat-trick in City’s 8-0 victory over Watford, which saw Mendy make his first Premier League start since April.