The Uruguayan Football Federation, the country's players' union and national team colleagues are defending the striker.
"Edinson Cavani has never committed anything that can be interpreted as racist.
He used only a common expression in Latin America to speak lovingly to a friend. ”
writes the player compartment (AUF).
After Manchester United's victory against Southampton, Cavani was congratulated on the effort by a follower on Instagram.
Cavani passed on the greeting to his own followers and added "gracias negrito".
Suspended for three matches
For those words, he was fined SEK 1.2 million and suspended for three matches.
Cavani claimed that he did not mean to hurt anyone, but deleted the post and apologized if anyone took it badly.
In Uruguay, the players' union and the federation demand that Cavani be rehabilitated and say that the English Football Association's (FA) actions are hasty, wrong and in themselves can be seen as racist.
"The FA has itself discriminated against the culture and lifestyle of the Uruguayan people."
writes AUF in a statement.
"Obvious injustice"
The Uruguayan Football Association calls the suspension "an obvious injustice that damages the reputation of an undisputed man."
In the past, linguists in Uruguay have described the Cavania affair as an example of a lack of "cultural and linguistic knowledge" in England.
Cavani has won one of three matches on suspension.
CLIP: Giant rescue on Forsberg's punishment (January 4, 2021)
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The goalkeeper's giant save on Emil Forsberg's penalty