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Dublin: 9 °C Saturday 18 May, 2013

Rodgers slams ‘vilification’ of Luis Suarez

The Liverpool manager has leapt to the defence of his star striker, after he faced criticism from Tony Pulis.

Rodgers claims Suarez has been badly treated.
Rodgers claims Suarez has been badly treated.

BRENDAN RODGERS HAS branded the treatment of Luis Suarez ‘wrong and unfair’ after the forward again came under scrutiny for simulation.

The Uruguay international has been heavily disparaged for his on-field antics, with replays appearing to show that he dived to try to earn his team a penalty during their goalless draw against Stoke City in the Premier League on Sunday.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis called for a three-game ban for any guilty player, however Rodgers believes that the 25-year-old is being treated differently to other players and is often needlessly criticised, alluding to the challenge made by Stoke defender Robert Huth in which the German appeared to stamp on the striker’s chest.

“As manager of this football club I find it incredible that in nearly all the coverage about Luis Suarez this weekend, very little focus has been placed on the fact that he was actually the victim of a stamping incident within the first five minutes of the game,” Rodgers told the club’s official website.

“At this moment there seems to be one set of rules for Luis and another set for everyone else.

“Diving and simulation is obviously a wider issue in football and one that we all agree has to be eradicated from our game but there were other incidents this weekend that didn’t seem to generate the same coverage.

“No-one should be distracted by the real issue here, both at Anfield and at another game played on Sunday, when Luis and another player were hurt in off-the-ball incidents that went unpunished but were caught on TV cameras.

“I believe some people need to develop a sense of perspective and I also believe in this moment the vilification of Luis is both wrong and unfair.

“I will continue to protect the values, spirit and people of this great club and game while searching for a consistent level of results in order to make progress on the field.”

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Comments (23 Comments)

  • Most players take sly dives nowadays its just some do it more frequently that others ,Suarez ,Young, Hazard , Duff.

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  • He cheats, he dives, he hates the jackson five, luis suarez!

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    • Lol v gud.
      Anyone that blames the media for this is terribly tinted. As through all his career with the his ear biting, handball in the World Cup, evra incident, the diving, complaining etc he brings all this on himself. If LFC fans can’t see this this then it’s a little sad.
      It can’t always be “poor us”. For once open your eyes to this lad.

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    • What ya mean handball in the World Cup was that not rewarded with a penalty not his fault the other team missed

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  • Was his most redonkulous dive yet. Can’t wait to see what he has in store next.

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    • Redonkulous? Can’t wait for what ridiculous term you post next!

      Reporting on diving is unbalanced in the media, with Bale equally as culpable as Suarez. The vilification of Suarez is shocking and boarders on xenophobia. It’s ok that he either gets stamped on, kicked or wound up every week but there’s an outcry when he takes a tumble. Some perspective needed.

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  • Same old shite here from united fans more interested in what Liverpool are getting up to than there own club they’ve obviously forgotten about a certain Ronaldo jumping all over the place

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    • jrbmc 09/10/12 #

      Yes Gavin , we haven’t forgotten about Ronaldo, but the difference is if there was contact of any kind he would go down , but with Suarez if there’s contact he goes down like he’s be shot with a magnum 357 from close range by no other then Dirty Harry himself. That’s the difference

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  • Same old shite here from united fans more interested in what Liverpool are getting up to than there own club they’ve obviously forgotten about a certain Ronaldo jumping all over the place

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    • Hey I’m a united fan and this might shock you but I can admit ronaldo dived Ashley young dives for us now, Valencia did NOT dive in the Liverpool game, but Luis suarez is just a massive muppet for that dive yesterday sure he was stood on(it was deliberate contact but not a so called stamp) but Suarez is a joke of he cut the crap he could be a great player but he is letting Liverpool down big time, it’s time for him to grow up and start taking responsibility for the few that pool payed him and the money they pay him and stop diving like a muppet

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    • Yes Gavin, much the same as you who has commented on both of the last two united stories, one with a slightly deranged and paranoid rant that must have took half an hour to type, good to see hypocrisy is still rife amongst the dippers.

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    • @colm
      So Suarez is a muppet but none of the players you mentioned (or welbeck who you didn’t mention) are is it?
      There’s a media campaign to get Suarez out of English football. He was kicked off the park for 90 minutes on Sunday by stokes thugs and yet the media paint him as the villain as always. There harassing that poor man. Yes he’s no angel but he’s being treated disgracefully and referees are giving him nothing. robert huth was assaulting him all day on sunday. Bales diving is just as bad yet sky hardly ever mention it and didn’t mention Sundays one either… Some balance is needed in our media

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    • I think you are missing or twisting his point John, if we were to sit here and list examples of players from both sides of the east lancs road who have dived we’d take quite some time, come out about even and gain nothing from it. On. Suarez, he really does not help himself with regard to penalties, his ridiculous double dying swan movement cost him a nailed on pen. With regard to Stoke and Pullis, the sooner those thugs who defend kicking people as being hard and honest are relegated and forgotten the better!

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    • Seriously. And the essay you wrote on the RVP story yesterday? Your embarrassing yourself now. You must be the mayor of the “City of pity”
      I’ve heard with a dislike, but your obvious obsession with united based on the essay on RVP is creepy.

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  • I was at Sunday’s game in Anfield and to be honest it’s all a bit embarrassing. A) Suarez is a really good player but constant moanin at refs and spending the game on the deck is ridiculous….also B) Brendan Rodgers is a good coach…he’s proven that already.BUT on the pitch it looks like he’s trying to turn ” Accrickton Stanley ” into Barcelona……they are just not good enough…they are not ” gelling” at all

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    • Don’t know what match U were looking at Liverpool were all over them should def have scored and won the match maybe Suarez dives a bit but he definitely should have had a penalty in the last three matches and he huth should have been sent off for the definite stamp on Suarez

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  • jrbmc 08/10/12 #

    9.9. 9.9 9.9 what more is there to say !

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  • Where’s the mention of rvp’s elbow?

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  • Martayyy 09/10/12 #

    If you thought Suarez’ dive was bad, take a look at Bale’s v Villa, did that generate as much of a storm about diving?? No because apparently it’s only the foreigners that dive…. (Young, Wellbeck, Gerrard, Cole – to name but a few)

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    • Bales was shocking and it did raise plenty of comment but not as much.
      Have you asked yourself why?
      Does Bale fall over every week? Does Bale hound refs for every foul on him? Has bale a history like Suarez of blatant cheating, ear biting etc?

      Reply

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