Pep Guardiola Defends 'Lovely' Bernardo Silva Amid Racism Allegations

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has spoken out in defence of Bernardo Silva following an investigation into an allegedly racist tweet posted by the player.

Per BBC Sport, the Football Association has been in touch with City about Silva's social media post, in which he shared a photo of a young Benjamin Mendy and compared his team-mate to a character on a packet of Conguitos, a sweet that is sold in Spain and Portugal. 

After City's 3-0 win over Preston North End in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, Guardiola was asked about the post and was full of praise for the 25-year-old, per David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror:

"They should put their focus on another issue, because they don't know which guy you are talking about. Bernardo is one of most lovely people I ever met in my life.

"He speaks four or five languages and that is the best way to understand how open-minded he is and one of his best friends is Mendy. He's like a brother for him. 

"The image is not about the colour of the skin. He took a picture of Benjamin when he was younger and he related it to this cartoon, which was quite similar for the image. Honestly, I don't think about what happened about that. If they want to do that and ask Bernardo, I think he will be open to talk. But first you have to know exactly which person you are talking about."

Silva deleted the initial message and photo 46 minutes after it was published on Sunday, then followed it up with another message saying "can't even joke with a friend these days."

The anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out have already condemned the tweet by the Portugal international and encouraged the FA to take action, per BBC Sport's Dan Roan:

James Robson of the Evening Standard shared his insight into the midfielder's character, but suggested his post on Twitter still showed a lack of judgement:

Silva has established himself as one of the best players in the Premier League since signing for his current club in the summer of 2017, having played a crucial role in a memorable 2018-19 season for City.

The former Monaco man excelled in a playmaking role and on the right flank for Guardiola's side, offering guile, inventiveness and a goal threat when he did venture into the final third. Silva was arguably the side's most influential player, as they clinched the Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup trophies.

On the eve of the controversial social media post, Silva scored his first hat-trick for City in an 8-0 win at home to Watford.