Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Peter
He admitted to saying something in his native tongue and maintains that there was no racially motivated intent in what he said. It's Luis Suarez's perogative if he wishes to maintain his innocence with regards to the charges and verdict brought against him.
|
Yes. That was been at the key of Liverpool's defence. They are welcome to that defence. I side with the FA's view that it's quite unlikely Suarez used a term of endearment towards a player during a acrimonious dispute but that's a matter of debate.
However this does mean that Evra did hear the word in question, he wasn't lying. He is also unlikely to have known the finer points of South American terminology so he understandably thought it was a racial slur. This means that at best he was the victim of a misunderstanding and at worst was a victim of racial abuse. Neither of this make him deserving of the treatment he has been receiving from Liverpool fans, the attack on his character from Liverpool's statement (hard to call him a liar when your own defence has conceded the utterance of the word in question), and the snubbing of the handshake from Suarez.
Let's be clear. Even by Suarez's version of events, he snubbed Evra for having misunderstood what he said. When such a misunderstanding occurs the correct course of action is to be apologetic that someone thought you racially abused them, not outrage.
Quote:
Damien... from a fan's perspective do we really know if racism is a problem on the pitch? From past experience it is a sporadically occuring problem within the stands.
In the case of Suarez, subsequently Terry why is it such a hot topic in the immediate aftermath of Blatter's idiotic comments when, in times recently past the topic was dismissed as mere folly by the media and the suits around the trough?
|
I don't think the media ever took the issue of Racism in Football as folly. There have been constant campaigns and stories about it. I remember the press trying to name and shame the fans who racially abused Sol Campbell at Spurs and the outrage when players were subject to racial abuse abroad.
To try and pretend that the media and the FA have only just become concerned with Racism doesn't hold up.
Quote:
|
Of course the Suarez affair was a show trial, this is not a cry of "conspiracy!". The FA have not crossed this bridge before but in the light of the Blatter comments and increasing scrutiny around said issue were undoubtedly pressured into acting the way they did when in actual fact the scrutiny should have been on their own due process.
|
No. It is a cry of conspiracy. The FA have crossed this bridge before, long before, the Blatter comments. The Liverpool fans argument that they haven't is just another attempt at revising history to support their argument, a trait common amongst conspiracy theorists. Newcastle's
Emre was charged with the same offence in 2007 (although found not guilty later). Just a
few days ago they charged some youth team players for the same offence. It is quite rare but then such accusations are quite rare. However the FA and clubs have always taken a hard line on fans, with fans being banned for life for Racist abuse. It's only fair to hold players to the same standard.