The Football Association has asked Manchester City for their observations regarding Bernardo Silva’s controversial tweet directed at team-mate Benjamin Mendy.
Portugal international Silva posted a message on the social media platform with a picture of a young Mendy alongside a separate image of the mascot of a Spanish confectionery brand.
Silva received immediate criticism for the post and later deleted it, with a follow-up message reading: “Can’t even joke with a friend these days… You guys…”
The FA confirmed to the PA news agency on Monday afternoon that it had reached out to City to hear their side of the matter.
Can’t even joke with a friend these days… You guys… 🤦🏻♂️— Bernardo Silva (@BernardoCSilva) September 22, 2019
Kick It Out said Silva should face action.
The anti-discrimination group issued a statement on the subject on Monday morning which read: “We are extremely disappointed to see the tweet posted by Bernardo Silva, which has since been deleted.
“Racist stereotypes 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 have been notified and we believe that retrospective action should be taken, including mandatory education – which is vital to challenge offensive behaviour such as this.”
The Silva post comes after initial meetings were held between the FA, Premier League, the EFL and Twitter following a series of cases of online abuse aimed at black players since the start of the season.
Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford are among the players who have been targeted, along with Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham and Kurt Zouma.
The FA described the meeting as “productive and positive”.
Manchester City have been contacted for a response.
