Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has been given a one-match suspension as punishment for a racially insensitive tweet posted in September, the Football Association (FA) has confirmed.
The FA charged Silva at the start of October and the Portugal international has admitted a breach of the organisation s Rule E3.
Silva, 25, is set to miss City s home Premier League game against Chelsea after the international break, while he has also been fined £50,000 and must complete face-to-face education.
The former Monaco player tweeted – and subsequently deleted – a photo of team-mate Benjamin Mendy as a youngster and a dated image from Spanish confectionary brand Conguitos that has been criticised for its racist connotations.
A statement issued by the FA read: 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.
As part of Silva s submission to the FA following his charge, Mendy wrote a letter backing his close friend and insisting no offence had been taken.
Raheem Sterling also backed his team-mate publicly, although two lengthy and impassioned defences from manager Pep Guardiola in the aftermath appeared to inflame the matter.
In the Independent Regulatory Commission s written reasons provided to the FA, Silva s exemplary previous good character was acknowledged, along with an acceptance that the player did not himself intend the post to be insulting or in any way racist , given he had grown up in a country where both the brand and the character were familiar and considered inoffensive .
They added: However, this was not a private jocular communication between two friends, The post was on a social media platform exposed to the 600,000 followers of a high-profile and well-respected professional footballer.
It was quickly observed and reported upon by elements of the media. To his credit, the player removed the tweet from his account within a period of some 45 minutes or so.
Silva was voted City s player of the season in 2018-19 as they completed an unprecedented domestic treble, before starring in Portugal s triumph at the inaugural Nations League Finals.
He scored his fifth Premier League goal of the current campaign during last Sunday s 3-1 defeat to leaders Liverpool at Anfield.
