One-match ban for Silva over ‘racist’ tweet to pal

Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva must serveaone-matchbanover a tweet he sent about teammate Benjamin Mendy.

In September, Silva posted pictures of Mendy as a child alongside the mascot for Spanish confectionery firm Conguitos.

The Portuguese star immediately deleted it but was charged by the Football Association, which has now imposed a suspension, a £50,000 fine and ordered him to complete face-to-face education.

A statement from the FA yesterday afternoon read: “Bernardo Silva has been suspended for one firstteam competitive fixture, fined £50,000 and must complete face-to-face education after admitting a breach of FA Rule E3.

“The Manchester City midfielder’s social media activity on September 22, 2019 breached FA Rule E3(1), as it was insulting and/or improper and/or brought the game into disrepute, and constituted an ‘aggravated breach’, which is defined in FA Rule E3(2), as it included reference, whether expressed or implied, to race and/or colour and/or ethnic origin.”

On the same day as the tweet, Silva posted: “Can’t even joke with a friend these days… You guys…”

Silva wrote to the FA to express regret over the Mendy tweet, while Mendy also stated that no personal offence had been caused.

City manager Pep Guardiola leapt to the defence of his player, saying: “Bernardo is one of the most lovely people I have ever met.

“One of his best friends is Mendy. He is like a brother for him. The image for the two is not about the colour of the skin.”

Silva is set to miss the Premier League match against Chelsea on 23 November.

The FA acknowledged he “had no previous knowledge of the adverse connotations linked by some to the brand”, with some critics describing the tweet as racist. But it argued that Silva, at 25 years of age, “ought to have been aware that such stereotyping as contained in the image is insulting or improper by reference to race, colour and/or ethnic origin”.