Kick It Out has condemned a tweet sent by Bernardo Silva to Manchester City team-mate Benjamin Mendy, calling for retrospective action to be taken against the Portugal international.
Bernardo Silva tweeted a photo of Mendy as a child alongside a dated image from Spanish confectionary 'Conguitos' that has been criticised for its racist connotations, with the caption: "Guess who?".
Mendy did not appear to take offence, replying with laughing emojis and a message saying: "1-0 for you will see", but other Twitter users were quick to point out the racist implications of Bernardo Silva's post.
The attacking midfielder deleted the entry before commenting: "Can't even joke with a friend these days…You guys…"
The Football Association (FA) has confirmed it will investigate the matter and Kick It Out, football's equality and inclusion organisation, wants to see punishment meted out.
"We are extremely disappointed to see the tweet posted by Bernardo Silva, which has since been deleted. Racist stereotypes are never acceptable as 'banter', and we're shocked that someone who is a role model to millions has failed to understand the discriminatory nature of his post.
"The FA have been notified and we believe that retrospective action should be taken, including mandatory education – which is vital to challenge offensive behaviour such as this."
The tweet from Bernardo Silva came less than 24 hours after he scored a hat-trick in City's 8-0 victory over Watford, which saw Mendy make his first Premier League start since April.
