LUIS SUAREZ’S LIVERPOOL teammates have backed the Uruguayan in the wake of the FA finding him guilty of racially abusing an opponent.
Suarez was last night banned for eight games and fined £40,000 as he was found to have racially abused Patrice Evra up to 10 times when the sides met on Merseyside in October.
This evening however, Kenny Dalglish’s first-team squad have issued a joint statement in defense of their star player.
It reads: “Luis Suarez is our teammate and our friend and as a group of players we are shocked and angered that he has been found guilty by the FA. We totally support Luis and we want the world to know that. We know he is not racist.
“We are a squad of many different nationalities and backgrounds. All of us support the club’s commitment to fighting racism. All of us accept there is no place in the game for any form of discrimination. As a group of players we totally support the Kick it Out Campaign.
“We have lived, trained and played with Luis for almost 12 months and we don’t recognise the way he has been portrayed. We will continue to support Luis through this difficult period, and as a popular and respected friend of all his teammates, he will not walk alone.”
They will all also reportedly wear No 7 shirts in the warm-up before their game against Wigan tonight.
The greatest injustice in football history,the same FA that slithered to uefa to get their beloved thug cleared for the euros are an international disgrace.
Maybe if he hadn’t admitted it he might have got off.
Yep, he should of lied until he believed it himself! haha
They should teach him to keep his mouth shut.
Hes a Cheater, remember the world cup?
One mans cheater is another mans hero.
If Richard Dunne did the same thing you would be building statues,and rightly so.
the same player who bit an opponent on the neck.
Did his time, paid for the crime. Move on
Its an unfortunate consequence of the old tradition of goading an opponent verbally to try to put them off their game. N***** may well be a term of endearment in Montevideo, but only if said in a friendly way. I doubt if Suarez was trying to befriend Evra during the match, more likely he was trying to goad him into making a mistake.
Being passionate and committed to his cause, Suarez found a word which upset Evra and kept using it. Unfortunately for him there is a law against that particular type of abuse. Craig Bellamy telling a Scottish part-time defender a few years ago, during a game, that “you’ll be cutting my garden in the Summer” was goading for the same purpose but unpunished as this sort of abuse during games has happened for many years.
Part of the problem is that Liverpool have very few black players (Glen Johnson the only one I can think of now) so racial sensitivity would not be part of Suarez’s experience in England so far. Add to that his passion, he served a 7 week suspension with Ajax for biting an opponent, and it’s easy to see how Suarez will do whatever it takes to win.
Suarez agreed in his evidence that he called Evra a N****** many times but pleaded that this was normal conversation in Uruguay. It’s not normal conversation in Europe though.
N*********** should read Negreto.
Thank you! With all the pathetic “**********” I thought it meant “nigger”
YNWA Luis!
Evra has cried racist time and time again, this man has no credibility but the FA takes his word. What happened to innocent until proven guilty.
The man is clearly not a racist, now John Terry that’s a completely different animal.
Twice! So he should just shut up and accept it? Great attitude, nothing would ever change then. Also, you don’t have to be a racist to make a racial slur, obviously. An older family member described a brown couch last year as being “nigger brown”, my mouth dropped and I explained that it was not acceptable to use that phrase in this day and age, I was met with embarrassment from this person, who is not in anyway a racist!
Innocent till proven guilty doesn’t apply when he admitted calling him a n***** many times.
Did you mean to say “nigger”?
“Evra has cried racist time and time again”
Absolute lies Chris! The previous incidents that involved Evra were reported in one case by a fan and in the other case by the Utd bench. Evra made neither claim! This same nonsense has been perpetuated by LFC fans trying to paint Evra as the bad guy in this whole mess.
Pah! Andy Carroll can easily fill in. (haaaaaa, haaaaa!)
Sorry I missed all the serious post couldn’t stop laughing at the guy who posted, “god help Wigan” haha king kenny my arse!!
Uh cringe ;-)
Christ mc d. He was not charged with being a racist but found guilty of making a racist comment nor was he called guilty by the powers than be before there investigation was completed. The details have not been released yet so unless you know something the rest of us don’t …. If you watched the match you can clearly see that he was in his face sneering at him while insulting him. This was even commented on by the commentators after the game. He also admitted it. He claims in his country it’s a term of affection but these two clearly are not friends. Before you ask I’m not a united fan but I’m amazed how a badge on a shirt can make people support some one who has been found guilty of making racially insulting remarks.
Most sense spoke on here about it so far Chuck!
Suarez admitted making a remark pertaining to the colour of Evra’s skin. That doesn’t make him a racist as it may have been made heat of the moment but it still doesn’t make it right. To make the remark at all and to actually think it was okay was one thing but I am surprised Liverpool can condone it. Banter or slagging during a game is part and parcel of the game but I think there is a line you don’t cross. Anything to do with colour of a person’s skin…..well thats where it gets personal. When he admitted using the word “Negrito” I thought the FA had no choice but to charge him and find him guilty. I’m surprised someone is comparing this situation to Rooney’s situation. Rooney got a three match which was reduced to two matches because he got sent off for kicking another player. How should the FA have handled the Suarez case? Let him off with a slap on the wrist? Thats just going to send a message to other players (not to mention to kids who watch the game and look up to these players as role model) that its okay to use that kind of language.
Noel, heat of the moment once…but ten times?
On review of the verdict. If what Liverpool FC website has stated is true as far as the facts are concerned then if this was held in a High Court I suspect the outcome would be Not Guilty unless I’m a little silly. Please see the Liverpool site and report back if you agree/ disagree re – Facts! Thanks
Evra is black. Scholes is ginger. People have their colours. Evra and Suarez were calling each other names. Big fuckin’ deal. This whole nigger word thing has gotten out of control. Remember Luke Chadwick? I reckon he was called a lot worse than nigger.
god help wigan tonight
I don’t believe Suarez is a racist but he used (and has admitted it!!) what is perceived here to be a racist term to insult Evra and the FA had to take some action. Simple as that. I also don’t think the LFC players were right to support Suarez last night in the way they did, not after he admitted insulting Evra.
The Liverpool players are dead right to support their team mate. An eight match ban for an insult during a game? Bit OTT in my opinion. Even Evra has said he doesn’t believe Suarez is racist.
Where do you draw the line as to what is a personal insult?
Disgraceful club and supporters who stand by the charged and convicted Suarez.
Manc? thought so. lol
Ten times, Em?
Rommel, you draw the line at a remark to do with the colour of a person’s skin, a disability or someone’s mother. Suarez may not be a racist but he did make a racist remark. He was wrong and should accept his punishment. I still fail to see how Liverpool can defend that. The guy admitted to referring to the colour of Evra’s skin. I fail to see what the colour of Evra’s skin has to do with anything. Suarez is claiming ignorance but he has played for Liverpool for about a year now, he plays alongside and against black players so he should know whats acceptable and what’s not. Surely it was up to him to adapt to English football and not up to English football to adapt to him.
He says its a term of endearment but unless Suarez was asking Evra out on a date (even then he went the wrong way about it) since they are not friends, I don’t think terms of endearment are appropriate between two footballers on opposing sides.
You can dress it up whatever way you like but Suarez was bang out of order and deserves his fine and ban.
Well Evra was no angel either, apparently he called Suarez a “South American bastard”, thus generalizing an entire continent, among other things! So they’re both as bad as each other. I think Suarez cannot be a racist as he has black ancestors and has played alongside many black players during his career so far.
Yes, racism is absolutely disgusting, but I think this was a case of a severe over reaction and the FA, hypocritical as they are regarding the John Terry case, want to make an example of Suarez. Also, as an aside, the sensitivity of the word “N****r” isn’t helped by countless rappers who use it as often as every second word in their songs! Its obviously going to be de-sensitised if the youth of today refer to their friends as it!