Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva Fined and Suspended for Controversial Tweet About Teammate

The Portuguese player had, in a tweet, compared the world champion, Benjamin Mendy, to the mascot of a Spanish brand of chocolate candies. While French defender Mendy took it sportingly, the message sparked an outcry for its perceived racist nature.

For Bernardo Silva, this tweet was just a friendly joke, as they are used to having since they know each other.

Faced with the controversy sparked by his message, Silva deleted it but the English Football Association (FA) quickly seized the matter and prosecuted the Manchester star for "misconduct" on social media, with the "aggravating circumstance of the allusion to race, color or ethnicity".

The Portuguese international was sentenced to a one-match suspension and a fine of 58,000 euros for violating the FA’s rules on social media.