Exactly. If you use a term your whole life that is completely acceptable in your country and not offensive in any way, then it's likely you will put your foot in it once or twice upon arriving to a new country where the term is considered offensive. He'll live and learn no doubt and he obviously didn't mean to cause offence.
FA to investigate Edinson Cavani | This thread is taking a break
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I didn't say you did. I highlighted the usage. Again, it's not a racist term in Spanish, no matter how much English translations demand it to be.
Get it done. Make Ole take the lead on this.
You are taking about a culture in which Diego Simeone is known as Cholo Simeone. Physical characteristics are frequently referred to in Latin America. Not just skin colour but also hair colour, eye colour, size, weight. However, it's so much part of everyday speech nobody really pays it much mind.
If an English speaker listened to a typical conversation in Latin America, they might assume that body shaming and colourism are all pervasive. Those certainly are issues in Latin America but it's just not the same as in the English speaking world.
Hahahaha feck right off. If what he said just translates to “cheers black” or whatever then that’s racist here. Or you just showing off you know what black is in Spanish?
he didn't use any racist term! he is speaking in spanish!
My mother used to call me "mi negrito" (mi = my) when I was a kid! I am not black, not white either, like most people in south america.
The FA shouldn't even have the right to start judging how two foreign friends communicate outside the pitch/press conferences, etc in their own language.
Liverpool and Dalgliesh tried defending someone who had very obviously racially abused a black player. Cavanni has very clearly not racially abused anyone, so no, defending him does not mean straying into that territory.
Telling Cavanni that the word can come off as offensive to those unfamiliar with it, and advise him to avoid it in the future should be the end of it, really.
It doesnt mean black. It means little black
Musicians aren't employed in a profession regulated by the FA. The governing body sets the rules players need to adhere to, Cavani has not upheld those rules.
Also, black musicians using the 'n word' is lyrics is in the context of black people having reclaimed the word.
Incredible you'd need this explaining.
Believe it or not, there’s cultures that aren’t deliriously obsessed with anything that could be racist if you try hard enough to make it be that way. Somebody should have warned him upon arrival.
He said a word which can mean “little black” but also is slang for “sweetheart” according to people who speak the language.
in the context of him thanking a former teammate who is not black, I’m going to guess it was the latter.
FA will ban him for 5 games cause he plays for United though.
so context matters right?
But that's the crux of the argument, isn't it?
Suarez was penalised (and for what it's worth, I thought the outcome of that investigation concluded he didn't say 'negrito') because of the use of the phrase 'I kicked you because you are black', which is by any definition, racist. Here we are discussing whether 'negrito' is racist in any context. I am 100% the answer to that question is no, so we need context of the account that he was replying
Well you said you couldn't see how the term could be racist, but sure, I see what you mean.
Its not just limited to South America..
Scholes was the ginger ninja.. Ginger isnt even used affectionately most of the time..
While I don't think there is much in this, just because someone is not offended at something, that doesn't automatically make it okay.
From the plethora of South American friends that I have, the vast majority have indicated to me that this term is used prolifically as a term of endearment. I do find it somewhat interesting that British culture would judge South American culture for its own use of language with its own varying degrees of social acceptability.
how is it a racist word?
Complelely absurd if this results in a ban of any kind. There was obviously no intent to demean anyone.
This! My point exactly. 2 foreign friends sharing a communication in a foreign language using regular words in their language and the FA is supposed to investigate??? I'd have this same opinion no matter which player at which club. Having deleted it once it was pointed out (not something I particularly think was necessary cos there's absolutely nothing offensive in the post), perhaps a needless warning is all that's merited.
You’re really looking for reasons to be offended here mate. He did nothing wrong. End of discussion.
negrito can mean sweetheart. He was thanking someone, who was not even black. Stop looking for outrage & get on with your life.
The best cause of action here would be to have a word.
People will compare it to the Bernardo case but that's a bit different to this IMO
People will compare it to the Bernardo case but that's a bit different to this IMO
Is the player not even black? How can this be compared to Suarez then? Who used it in an argument against a black player? And I’m pretty sure Suarez said Negro not Negrito - and tried to claim it was an innocent word.
What did Rio get for calling Cole "choc ice"? 
I'm not offended.
I'm simply explaining why it's obvious Cavani or any other player would face some consequence for using this word on a public platform.
It's not that complicated.
A £45,000 fine.What did Rio get for calling Cole "choc ice"?
Maybe in South America they don’t desperately look for reasons to be outraged over anything & everything?
Well that was a lot more offensive than what Cavani did, given it was intended to be derogatory. But I'm not really expecting consistency from the FA.
Of course he isn’t getting an 8 game ban!!!! This isn’t even remotely similar to Suarez. The FA judgement from that case accepted the term wasn’t offensive in certain contexts. Shouting angrily in an argument with someone you aren’t friendly with wasn’t one of those acceptable contexts. The context of Cavani using it affectionately whilst speaking in Spanish thanking a former white teammate on Instagram probably is one of the acceptable contexts. If the FA do 5 minutes of research they’ll realise just because a word in a different language looks like an offensive one in English doesn’t make it so.
We didn’t have the twitter hounds back then though. He’ll get banned for this almost certainly. If you look hard enough you can find offence everywhere. People are sad bastards.What did Rio get for calling Cole "choc ice"?
I'm a Black man and it saddens me that real racism has become conflated with political correctness and the social media era. Racism is that which maligns or is intended to malign another because of skin colour. Racism is not endless political correctness that can't even take language into account. There's racism in South America, and the Spanish speaking world. They, and not us, should be the arbiters of whether there was anything offensive here. As I understand it, Cavani was alerted as to how the term may be interprered in English! Just think about that...he can't even speak his language freely because of political correctness.
My understanding was Suarez got in trouble because he claimed to use the word negrito when Evra was very definite he didn't. At worst I think Cavani's post has been lost in translation, hopefully common sense prevails.
What a load of old tosh this is. Guess we better ban Smeg appliances and the town of twatt too. Just incase somebody might possibly get offended by something completely out of context. Maybe.
Indeed.
Exactly. He was thanking a friend. Clearly he was not looking to be offensive or hurtful. The people judging this should be people who speak the language & understand the context. Anyone comparing this to the Suarez thing is a fool.
Always wondered about that one
I hope he doesn't go on to bite a opposition player from here onwards.
It’s nothing like the Suarez incident, form what I can tell. Doesn’t make it okay.
Give him a one match ban, a fine and some cultural education. Then move on.
Give him a one match ban, a fine and some cultural education. Then move on.
He used a different word, with different context, yes.
Exactly this. My South American family are laughing at how stupid this is.
Frustrates me that English speaking countries apply our rules and cultural contexts to other countries and cultures but here we are.
Hopefully the FA see it in the way it was meant and he doesn't get banned.
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