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  • Cavani Banned For Three Games Over ‘Negrito’ Post

    Cavani Banned For Three Games Over ‘Negrito’ Post

    Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani has been banned for three matches and fined £100,000 for using a racial term in a social media post, the Football Association announced on Thursday.

    The 33-year-old summer signing produced a match-winning display at Southampton on November 29, providing an assist for Bruno Fernandes before netting a two goals in a 3-2 comeback win.

    Cavani posted a social media message on Instagram shortly after the match, replying to a message of congratulations using the Spanish term “negrito” (small black person).

    The Uruguayan swiftly deleted the post and issued an apology after being made aware of the connotations, with the player releasing an apologetic statement saying he was “completely opposed to racism”.

    But the FA has now punished the striker after he admitted breaching FA Rule E3.

    “A comment posted on the Manchester United FC striker’s Instagram page was insulting, abusive, improper and brought the game into disrepute,” the FA said in a statement.

    “The post also constitutes an ‘aggravated breach’… as it included reference, whether express or implied, to colour and/or race and/or ethnic origin,” the statement added.

    Manchester United issued a statement saying Cavani was not aware his words could have been misconstrued and “sincerely apologised” for the post and to anyone who was offended.

    “Despite his honest belief that he was simply sending an affectionate thank you in response to a congratulatory message from a close friend, he chose not to contest the charge out of respect for, and solidarity with, the FA and the fight against racism in football,” the club said.

    United said they hoped the independent regulatory commission appointed to decide the sanction would make it clear in its written reasons that the former Paris Saint-Germain player “is not a racist, nor was there any racist intent in relation to his post”.

  • Cavani to miss United’s clash against Sheffield

    Cavani to miss United’s clash against Sheffield

    Edinson Cavani looks set to sit out another Manchester United game as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t want to risk the forward against Sheffield United.

    The striker was brought off during the comeback win against West Ham and subsequently missed both the Champions League defeat in Leipzig and the Manchester derby at the weekend. 

    In his 10 appearances, of which he has only started three times, he has managed three goals and an assist and has already proven his killer instinct in front of goal.

    However, Solskjaer looks set to be without him for the third game in a row as he continues to step up his recovery ahead of a busy festive fixture schedule.

    “We have to be mindful of little strains and niggles and decisions have to be made from kick-off of Sheffield United to kick-off against Aston Villa. It’s 15 times 24 hours, so it’s going to be very tight,” Solskjaer said about the amount of games lined up in just over a two-week period.

    “Edinson has done well in rehab, but I still have to make the decision if we should risk him. It’s a little bit [dangerous] to risk him too early, so I’d doubt he will be available to pick tomorrow.”

    Even without Cavani, Solskjaer has a strong squad to pick from ahead of Thursday night’s trip to Bramall Lane and it is likely he will go with his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. 

    The United manager came under scrutiny after his side’s Champions League exit last week for changing his system too often, but the Norwegian seemed to refute those claims on Wednesday afternoon.

    “What was the change in formation [against Manchester City]? It was a 4-2-3-1 and coming into that pocket is probably Paul [Pogba]’s favourite position,” Solskjaer responded when it was put to him that his players have to keep adapting to the team’s changing shape.

    “Paul did well, the team’s shape was as it normally is. Twice we have played three at the back – we beat PSG and unfortunately lost to Leipzig. 

    “We played a full game with a diamond and two half-games with a diamond, so that’s four out of 22 games. [That] isn’t bad for consistency of a normal shape, some details change. 

    “Sometimes we look at the opposition and where we need players with different qualities and the players are coping well with it.”

  • Champions League: Man Utd Boss Solskjaer reacts to Cavani’s three-match ban

    Champions League: Man Utd Boss Solskjaer reacts to Cavani’s three-match ban

    Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has backed both Edinson Cavani and the Football Association, as the governing body looks into an Instagram post that was sent from the striker’s account.

    Cavani has already deleted the post and offered an apology.

    However, the FA has asked the Uruguay international for his observations and Solskjaer has backed both the governing body and his player over the incident.

    “We’ve communicated with Edinson and he’s deeply sorry for the mistake he made. There was no malicious intent at all, it was just an affectionate greeting to a friend of his.

    “We explained to him and he’s been asked by the FA to explain so of course he will cooperate with them and we will support him. It’s one of those unfortunate situations. He’s just come into the country, in Uruguay it’s used in a different way than what we have here.

    “We will support him but we support the FA too. It’s important that the FA has asked him to explain and it’s out there for everyone to see because we want to be in the fight against discrimination with everyone,” Solskjaer told a press conference on Tuesday.

    Cavani is now facing a three-match ban from domestic fixtures.

    The 33-year-old is, however, in contention to face his former side Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

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  • ‘Cavani will bring a lot of goals to Man Utd’ – Mata

    ‘Cavani will bring a lot of goals to Man Utd’ – Mata

    Edinson Cavani is set to “bring a lot of goals” to Manchester United, Juan Mata has predicted, with a “humble” striker expected to maintain the standards in England that he has set across a distinguished career to date.

    The Red Devils moved to snap up the experienced Uruguay international as a free agent over the summer.

    Eyebrows were raised when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer landed the 33-year-old former Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain star, with United considered to be in need of a long-term option in their striking department.

    Cavani has, however, shown that he has lost none of his predatory instincts, with three goals recorded in the Premier League so far – including a match-winning brace at Southampton.

    Mata claims to have never been in any doubt that the proven performer would make a positive impact at Old Trafford, with former United midfielder Ander Herrera – who is now at PSG – telling his fellow Spaniard all about the qualities that the prolific marksman would add to the fold.

    “Ander, who played with him at PSG, called me and told me: ‘I think Edinson is going to go to your club, you will see he’s a top guy, a top professional. And I know you will help him’,” Mata told L’Equipe.

    “So since Edinson has arrived, I try to answer the questions he has about the club or the dressing room. I can help to translate when he wants to communicate with people in the club, in the staff.

    “And since he’s here, as Ander said, I can see how focused he is, his professionalism. Edinson has done a lot of things in football and he remains very humble. And it’s great to have him. He brings his experience, he will bring a lot of goals.

    “Did I advise him to buy umbrellas? Yes, as a joke. I told him that it rains much more in Manchester than in Paris. So actually it’s not bad advice.

    “We (Mata and Herrera) speak a lot, but our relationship is above that. We’ve had a great connection for a long time, since we were playing together in the Spanish Under-21s.

    “He’s a great guy, we had a nice time together in Manchester. After the game at Parc des Princes, we had a nice chat together in the tunnel.”

    While enjoying watching Cavani find his feet in English football, Mata is not experiencing the happiest of times himself.

    The World Cup winner has been restricted to just seven appearances this season, and 292 minutes of Premier League action, amid fierce competition for places.

    “I try to stay strong in my head, to train as best I can, to be physically and mentally ready every time someone picks me,” Mata added.

    “Even if, of course, it’s not always easy to be that way when you don’t play every game.”

    Pressed on how he manages to stay positive, the 32-year-old playmaker added: “When I was 15, I left Oviedo/Asturias, the city where I grew up, to join the Real Madrid training centre.

    “At that age, when you are away from your parents and friends, you grow up faster.

    “I found myself competing with very talented young people and I didn’t know if I was at their level. I was a little terrified.

    “And then, suddenly, I was aware of my qualities, but also of my ability to progress. Since then, every time I face competition, I see it as an opportunity to improve myself.”

  • ‘Cavani smells the goal’ – Fernandes not surprised by Man Utd striker’s immediate impact

    ‘Cavani smells the goal’ – Fernandes not surprised by Man Utd striker’s immediate impact

    Bruno Fernandes says he’s not been surprised by Edinson Cavani’s immediate impact at Manchester United, with the striker considered to be the kind of player that “smells the goal”.

    United brought in a man who had scored 341 goals in 556 matches across his club career on a free transfer in October, beating the likes of Atletico Madrid and Benfica to his signature.

    Cavani scored 200 of those goals at Paris Saint-Germain, becoming their all-time top scorer in the process, but he left the French champions at the end of his contract in June.

    The 33-year-old struggled with persistent injuries towards the end of his time at Parc des Princes, which is why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s decision to bring him onto the Red Devils’ books raised a few eyebrows initially.

    However, the Uruguayan has quickly laid any doubts over his fitness and sharpness in the box to rest, adding a new dimension to United’s attack despite only one of his eight appearances to date coming as a starter.

    Cavani was introduced as a second-half substitute when United were 2-0 down at Southampton on Sunday, but he provided an assist for Fernandes to reduce the deficit before heading in two late goals to give the visitors an unlikely victory.

    Fernandes says only a player with the ex- PSG star’s instincts in the final third could have scored such an impressive brace , and he is expecting his contribution to increase with each passing game.

    “When you have strikers who move a lot, and they give you the chance to play balls for them, it is really good,” the Portuguese told MUTV . “I think every striker we have gives us options.

    “I don’t want to go on personally about Edi or another player because it’s not fair, but of course Edi has qualities, everyone knows that.

    “For me, he’s one of those strikers that can smell the goal as you saw twice. He smelt the goal, you need to have this feeling to score these two goals.

    “As I said some weeks and some months ago, Edi will help us and he is helping already. For me, one of the best games he played was against Basaksehir in the Champions League and nobody talks about that because he didn’t score but he did an amazing game.

    “He helps a lot and he will help more and more in the future.”

    Another of United’s summer signings, Donny van de Beek, was also handed his first Premier League start against the Saints, and Fernandes felt he slotted into Solskjaer’s line-up nicely alongside Nemanja Matic and Fred.

    “Every midfielder in our team has quality. Donny has a lot of quality,” he said. “We know we can play together and also with other players we have in the team. Everyone has quality to play and we know each other.

    “We can play with three today then switch and play the next game with another three or another four. It doesn’t matter because all of them have quality and we can all be together on the pitch, and everyone can make a difference.

    “Donny played a really good game but Fred and Nema [Matic] were really important to us. They worked and they worked and they were two players who calmed down the game and moved the ball.

    “In the second half, that was crucial, they recovered a lot of balls and they ran a lot.”

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  • Kean compared to PSG legend Cavani

    Kean compared to PSG legend Cavani

    Moise Kean has earned a comparison to current Manchester United star and former Paris Saint-Germain frontman Edinson Cavani, with Eric Rabesandratana disappointed that the Ligue 1 champions have no purchase option on the Everton loanee.

    Having struggled for form and regular game time during a frustrating spell in England, the Italy international was allowed to head for the exits at Goodison Park over the summer.

    Despite his difficulties on Merseyside, Kean’s stock remains high and PSG presented him with another prominent stage on which to perform. They have seen the former Juventus youngster reward their faith with five goals in seven appearances.

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    With Kean eager to prove himself in France, his tireless running and impressive end product has not gone unnoticed.

    Those qualities have seen him likened to a proven performer who departed Parc des Princes just prior to his arrival, with Rabesandratana seeing similarities between a new recruit and the Uruguayan frontman who plundered 200 goals in 301 outings for PSG.

    “When the ball is lost, he immediately starts to defend,” Rabesandratana told France Bleu Paris of a player who hobbled off injured in the 3-0 win over Rennes on Saturday.

    “He reminds me a bit of Edinson Cavani in his mentality and effort. I hope he scores as many goals [as Cavani].

    “We’ll be watching the next matches to see if he keeps that consistency, which is the most important thing at the top level.

    “Kean will establish natural competition with [Mauro] Icardi, who will have to make an effort. That is good for the team. Unfortunately, we have no option to buy him at the end of the loan.”

    Everton only sanctioned a season-long loan for Kean when allowing him to head out of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. The Toffees do not appear ready to give up on a hot prospect just yet, but it may be that their hand is forced by a player eager to forget his troubles in the Premier League.

    Kean told Rai Sport when heading for Paris: “I am not particularly upset to have left English football, even if the banner from the Everton fans really moved me, as I wasn’t expecting it.

    “It’s true, I could’ve returned to Juve, but I made this decision along with my family to play in Ligue 1. I’ve been to Paris before and have relatives here. I hope to learn a great deal from this fantastic experience. I am young, I like to work closely with top strikers, so I can learn from their experience and their style of football.”

  • ‘It won’t be long before Cavani makes a big impact’ -Solskjaer

    ‘It won’t be long before Cavani makes a big impact’ -Solskjaer

    Edinson Cavani is getting sharper and sharper and it will not be long before the Manchester United striker makes a big impact at Old Trafford, according to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

    Cavani embarked on a new challenge in the Premier League by signing a one-season contract at Old Trafford in October, which includes the option of an extra year.

    The 33-year-old had been without a club since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in June, and has been granted extra time to build up his fitness since his arrival at United.

    He has had to be content with three substitute appearances for Solskjaer’s side so far, with his latest cameo coming during a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal on Sunday.

    The Uruguayan has only shown glimpses of his predatory instincts amid a lack of playing time, but his manager is confident he will soon be ready to prove his worth as a regular starter after seeing him make gradual progress on the training pitch.

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    “He’s generally a fit man anyway and he’s getting his sharpness in training and he’s got some substitute appearances now,” Solskjaer told a press conference ahead of the Red Devils’ trip to Istanbul Basaksehir on Wednesday night.

    “We haven’t managed to get him long enough yet to make a big impact but he’s looking sharper and sharper in training so it won’t be long.”

    One man who could slot straight into Solskjaer’s line-up in Turkey is Anthony Martial, who has just finished serving a three-game Premier League suspension after being sent off in a heavy loss to Spurs before the last international break.

    The Frenchman scored a penalty as United thrashed RB Leipzig 5-0 in their last Champions League outing at Old Trafford, and the Norwegian head coach is hopeful he will kick on to rediscover his best form in the coming weeks.

    “Anthony has been important for us last season and in the time I’ve been here. So, of course, to have him back is a boost,” said Solskjaer. “It gives us more options for up front and on either side, and we’ll look forward to seeing the best of Anthony.

    “I thought towards the end of the Leipzig game you could see his sharpness getting there and he was really positive and bright which is good.”

    Pressed on the need for his side to react strongly after suffering their third top-flight reversal of the season with a crucial clash against Everton looming large on the horizon, Solskjaer added: “Definitely. It’s always important to bounce back and respond after a disappointing day.

    “We’ve had some time to reflect over this [the Arsenal defeat] now and it’s gone, and we’ve got to get a performance in Istanbul and hopefully we’ll get three points and then we go to Everton.

    “Of course we’ve not been helped by the schedule but it’s another challenge.”