FA will not charge Garnacho over use of gorilla emojis

Alejandro Garnacho (left) and his Manchester United team-mates mobbed Andre Onana after his penalty save against Copenhagen

The Football Association says Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho will not be charged over his use of gorilla emojis in a social media post.

The FA said it was "satisfied" with the Argentine's explanation and would not sanction him.

The decision comes after Onana called for Garnacho to face no punishment.

"We have concluded an investigation in relation to a recent post on Alejandro Garnacho's social media," said the FA.

"We sought the player's observations as part of our investigation, and he explained that the use of two gorilla emojis was intended to highlight the strength and power of his teammates - specifically Andre Onana and Harry Maguire - following the pivotal roles that they played in Manchester United's win over FC Copenhagen.

"We are satisfied with Alejandro Garnacho's explanation and the context that it provides, so we will not be issuing disciplinary proceedings on this occasion.

"However, we have reminded the player of his responsibilities around social media posts and the use of emojis in particular which can be interpreted in different ways. We also intend to liaise with Kick It Out and the PFA to discuss other potential issues around the use of emojis and similar forms of messaging, and education that can be provided about them."

The save Onana made against United's Danish opponents salvaged victory after another poor performance from the Red Devils, and breathed new life into their Champions League campaign.

Onana wrote on Instagram: "People cannot choose what I should be offended by. I know exactly what [Garnacho] meant: power and strength.

"This matter should go no further."

In 2019 Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva was banned for one match and fined £50,000 after an FA commission accepted he "did not intend" a tweet about team-mate Benjamin Mendy to be "racist".

Silva compared Mendy to the character on a packet of Conguitos, a chocolate brand available in Spain and Portugal.

In 2021 United striker Edinson Cavani was given a three-match ban and £100,000 fine for a social media post containing a Spanish phrase which is offensive in some contexts.

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