Two months ago, Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva made a post on Twitter, comparing his club teammate Benjamin Mendy to a character on a packet of a chocolate brand, Conguitos.
After facing a backlash, the former Monaco man deleted the original post and then tweeted saying he “can’t even joke with a friend these days”.
Even though the Portugal international explained his stance in a subsequent tweet, The Football Association found him guilty of an “Aggravated Breach” of the FA’s rules. Therefore, they handed the 25-year-old a one match ban and fined him £50,000.
Silva’s compatriot and Leicester City fullback Ricardo Pereira has now come to his defence, suggesting the former’s post about Mendy was not racist in his opinion.
The Premier League winners will face Chelsea after the international break and Silva’s ban means Pep Guardiola will be without his services for the clash against the Blues.
