Montevideo, Jan 5 (IANS): The Uruguayan players union has urged English football's governing body to repeal Edinson Cavani's three-game ban for alleged racism.

The 33-year-old Manchester City forward was handed the penalty last week after using the term "negrito" to address a friend on social media on November 29, reports Xinhua news agency.

A statement released by the Uruguayan players' union on Monday called on the Football Association to overturn the suspension "to reinstate (Cavani's) good name and honor".

"Firstly, we must condemn the arbitrary conduct of the English Football Association. Far from condemning racism, the English Football Association has itself committed a discriminatory act against the culture and way of life of the

Uruguayan people," it said.

"The sanction shows the English Football Association's biased, dogmatic and ethnocentric vision that only allows a subjective interpretation to be made from its particular and excluding conclusion, however flawed it may be."

The union added that Cavani had been punished for using a term of endearment in Uruguay.

"Edinson Cavani has never committed any conduct that could be interpreted as racist," the union said.

"To sustain that the only way to obtain a valid interpretation in life is that which lies in the minds of the managers of the English Football Association is actually a true discriminatory act, which is completely reprehensible and against Uruguayan culture."

Cavani earlier said that his "heart is at ease" in the knowledge that he had done no wrong.

In addition to the suspension, the veteran of 118 Uruguay caps was fined 100,000 pounds sterling and ordered to complete a two-hour online education course.