The FA has confirmed that Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho will not face any charges for his recent controversial social media post directed at teammate André Onana.
Garnacho, 19, was accused of racism after sharing a since-deleted post about Onana following his crucial penalty save in the Champions League against FC Copenhagen.
Intending to celebrate the Man United goalkeeper, the young Argentine posted an image of the save along with two gorilla emojis, causing uproar online.
Despite the Cameroonian keeper coming out to defend him in a social media response of his own, stating 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.”
The FA will take no action of Alejandro Garnacho’s use of a gorilla emoji in reference to Manchester United team-mate Andre Onana. pic.twitter.com/tEdTcb8O4t
The FA confirm Garnacho will not face charges for the misconstrued post regarding Onana.
And, as it turns out, that is exactly the outcome that has arisen from the situation, as despite both the FA and Garnacho having acknowledged the racially insensitive connotations of the post, the governing body says they are happy with their findings and insist the player will not face any punishment or investigation.
ADVERTISEMENT
The FA said it had “reminded the player of his responsibilities around social media posts and the use of emojis in particular”.
A full statement read: “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 team-mates – specifically Andre Onana and Harry Maguire – following the pivotal roles that they played in Manchester United’s win over FC Copenhagen”.
ADVERTISEMENT
“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”
They also went on to add that they “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” in the future.
A similar investigation was carried out the previous year after Man City’s Bernardo Silva compared his then-teammate Benjamin Mendy to a character used on the branding of a chocolate bar sold in Spain and Portugal, ultimately being fined £50k and receiving a one-match ban.
The Red Devils face off against Copenhagen again in their next Champions League fixture and ideally need to win all three remaining matches to go through unless Bayern Munich also beat Galatasaray, in which case they’d only need six points to advance into the knockouts.
Featured Images — Alejandro Garnacho/André Onana (via Instagram
Sport
Exciting new CGIs released of £500m Therme Manchester wellness resort as construction continues
Emily Sergeant
As construction continues on Manchester’s massive wellness resort, some new CGIs have now been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed, construction of the £500 million Therme Manchester wellness resort officially began last September after several years of planning, and now developers have released some exciting new CGIs – with an update on how construction is going, as a new milestone has been reached this week.
Set to open to the public in 2029, Therme Manchester will become one of the largest urban wellbeing resorts in the world.
Visitors can expect to make the most of a 10 pools – both lagoon and wave pools included – thermal bathing, multi-sensory sauna rituals, steam rooms, 18 water slides, affordably-priced luxury spa therapies, and health and fitness experiences.
Exciting new CGIs released of Therme Manchester have been released / Credit: Supplied
At the heart of Therme Manchester will be three distinct zones, each offering a different way to spend time at the resort.
Play will bring together water-based fun and attractions for families and visitors of all ages, and Restore will focus on thermal bathing and restorative experiences designed to help visitors unwind, while Relax will offer spaces for relaxation and wellbeing.
The latest CGIs showcase the design as it develops – including the resort’s extensive indoor and outdoor spaces, and its 53,000sq ft wellbeing garden.
Construction is still underway on the £500m wellness resort / Credit: Supplied
The plans also feature a new public plaza designed to strengthen connections between the resort and the Bridgewater Canal.
Professor David Russell, CEO of Therme UK, said: “We have taken the opportunity to refine the design, improve how traffic and parking are managed and create a more welcoming environment for everyone arriving at the resort.
“We are creating an even better experience for visitors while supporting more efficient and sustainable operations.”
Therme Manchester was initially touted as a £250m project that would complete in 2025, but it’s now up to £500m and is scheduled to complete it 2029.
It marks one of the most significant building developments to ever take place in the North.
Featured Image – Supplied
Sport
Manchester City release limited-edition Blossoms shirts exclusively in new flagship store
Daisy Jackson
Manchester City have released a limited run of special Blossoms shirts, which will be available exclusively at the new flagship City Store.
Etihad Airways has donated the front-of-shirt space for the special drop, which celebrates the Stockport band’s lifelong support of Man City and will fundraise forCity in the Community’s 40th anniversary.
The Manchester City x Blossoms collab features the band’s logo across the chest of the 2024/25 season’s away shirt – one of the Club’s most popular designs in recent years.
Profits from sales of the shirts will be donated to CITC to support its 40th anniversary fundraising, which empower healthier lives with city youth through football.
Blossoms have just secured their fifth UK number one album with their latest release, ‘Songs From The Wedding Cake’, and will soon be heading on an arena tour that includes two massive shows at the Co-op Live.
There’s a very limited run of the Man City Blossoms shirts, available in sizes small to large, which will exclusively be sold at the new flagship CityStore.
The shirts have dropped in-store this morning, with further drops to be released around the band’s tour dates this November and December.
As for that new City store – it’s a whopping 21,000 sq ft, three-floor space at Medlock Square, right beside the Etihad Stadium, and is the biggest shop in the club’s history.
The new flagship has opened today in collaboration with PUMA and Stichd, and features a new, interactive ‘Make It Yours’ customisation station as well as an expanded range of Manchester City products.
Danny Jones -
8th November 2023 
