"CONMEBOL" stands in solidarity with Kavani, who has been arrested by the FA for "racist reason"
The South American Football Association "CONMEBOL" joined the list of solidarity with the Uruguayan international, Edinson Cavani, Manchester United striker, against the decision to suspend him by the FA for three matches for using a racist term as described by the latter.
Cavani, 33, was suspended for three matches and fined 100,000 pounds for using a racist term in response to a congratulation from one of his friends on the "Instagram" site.
Cavani wrote "Gracias Negrito" (thank you, little lions) after beating Southampton 3-2 in the domestic league on November 29, in a match during which the former French Paris Saint-Germain striker scored a double and played a decisive pass, but quickly deleted it.
"It is clear that the disciplinary measures taken against the player (...) do not take into account cultural characteristics and the use of certain terms in everyday speech in Uruguay," the CONMEBOL statement reads.
He continued, "Judging such statements in a context that may lead to penalties on the athlete and affect his reputation, must always take into account the context in which they were made, and above all, the cultural characteristics of each player and every country."
The Federation condemned "in the utmost degree any manifestation of racism or discrimination."
This solidarity comes after the Uruguayan Footballers Association accused the FA of discrimination on Monday, saying that "what the FA has done is far from being an anti-racist act, but rather a discriminatory act against the culture and lifestyle of Uruguayans."
She added that "the verdict did not extend to one person only, but our culture, and our way of life. This is discriminatory and racist," calling for lifting the penalty for Kavani.
The Academy of Arts in Uruguay took a similar stance four days ago, accusing the FA of "ignorance".
Cavani announced on his Twitter account last Thursday that he would accept his suspension, saying, "I accept disciplinary sanctions, knowing that I am a foreigner to the traditions of the English language, but I do not share the point of view."
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