Edinson Cavani did not mean to hurt anyone when he greeted a friend on Instagram, but the English interpreted the innocent story as a racist statement • Tonight (22:00), with the threat of suspension from the Premier League hovering over him, the Manchester United striker will try to ignore the background noise and complicate the ex-PS. '
Kabani after the duo against Southampton on Saturday
Photography:
IP
Two months after arriving at Manchester, Edinson Cavani managed last weekend to make his first significant contribution to United.
He came off the bench trailing 2-0 against Southampton, cooked up the shrinking goal and scored a double that completed a dramatic turnaround.
But just then, a moment after writing his name in the giant, the Uruguayan was lost in translation.
The "Gracias, Negrito" greeting (thank you, blackhead) he wrote to one of his closest friends on Instagram was interpreted by the English as racist and spawned a storm that was supposed to stay in a matte glass.
Although the word "negrito" is considered a nickname for a friend in Uruguay, and although Kabani has apologized and clarified his intentions, the English association is considering prosecuting the Red Devils striker and even removing him for three games.
"I think three away games is not enough, one should also educate him," Troy Dini declared, as if Cabani had acted like Luis Suarez, who in 2011 called Patrice Evra "black" with malicious intent and was sent off for eight games.
With this baggage, and without knowing when he will return to play in the Premier League, Kabani will meet PSG tonight - in the Champions League - the team that left him charged last summer.
In June, when his contract expired after seven years, the French champions allowed their historic king of goals (200 goals) to leave the team on a free transfer.
There was no proper farewell, Kabani did not even stay around to be part of the journey to the Champions League final in Lisbon, he simply returned to his home in Uruguay and waited for the team to arrive brave enough to bet on him.
Still, at 33 and after seven months in which he was more concerned with promoting his favorite ballet dances than football, the Uruguayan was kind of a question mark.
A lot of teams were debating him, and only on the last day of the transfer window did United go for it and sign him for one season.
"He will bring us strength, energy, leadership, mentality, and most importantly - expatriates," manager Ola Gunnar Solskjaer said on the day of the signing.
Location Wizard, Traffic Monster
It's hard to say Kabani brought all of this in his two months at Manchester, but what's certain is that he's bringing something else.
In a team whose strikers are quite similar in style - Rashford, Marcial and Greenwood are gifted with speed, ball control and often flow to the wings and start from there - the Uruguayan striker is the complete opposite.
He’s a classic wide striker, a position wizard, an in-depth movement monster, slamming gracefully, and his two goals against Southampton highlighted all of that.
They have made comparisons to Andy Cole, Van Nistelrooy, Van Persie and also to United's ultimate replacement - Ola Gunnar Solskjaer.
"Sometimes it seems like we are trying to score the perfect goal with a delivery and a personal move," the Norwegian manager said at the end, "and for the first time since Lukaku we have a real goal striker."
Bruno Fernandesh also praised Kabani.
"He's one of those strikers who smells goals," said the Portuguese, "I'm sure he will help us a lot more."
It seems that Kabani will still contribute a lot to United, but tonight he needs the team to help him.
The cold treatment he received from PSG and coach Thomas Tuchel last summer upset Uruguay, and especially his parents, and tonight's game allows for revenge.
A United victory would complicate the French at home and could undermine the German coach's status, and this time - unlike the previous game in Paris that the Uruguayan missed - Kabani is expected to start in the squad.
He will try to forget the storm caused by his post in England in order to focus on a new storm - the one that will fall on PSG after he and United defeat it.
