Suarez found guilty of racially abusing evra

[Guest Portuguese]

I woulda done the Suarez thing as well.

[MEIRELES.]

I would have CAUGHT the ball against Ghana.

[Lot To Learn]

Tim Vickery

When Luis Suarez joined Liverpool at the start of the year I wrote that he had the ability to shine in the Premier League but also that his fiery temperament would be put to the test.

He has given us more than I bargained for. An instant Anfield sensation, his exploits for Uruguay make Suarez beyond doubt the outstanding player in the world this year in terms of national team football.

In England, as expected, he has become the Liverpool player least likely to be popular with opposing fans but he has exceeded his own reputation for controversy with the flare-up with Patrice Evra and the charge of racism which has now brought him an eight-game ban and a £40,000 fine.

It is news which has not gone down well in Uruguay. When the verdict was announced and published on the website of El Pais, the country's leading newspaper, the comments section was full of remarks attacking the "hypocrisy" and "pseudo-moralism" of the English.

When Suarez pulls on the sky blue shirt of his country he is part of a national team which has an unrivalled record of giving opportunities to afro-descendants. In the face of protests from their opponents, Uruguay picked black players in the first Copa America in 1916.

Probably the most revered figure in the history of Uruguayan football is Obdulio Varela, captain of the side that won the World Cup in 1950. His nickname was "El Negro Jefe" - the black boss.

Among Suarez's team-mates these days is Maxi Pereira, who is known as "El Mono" - the monkey. It is a nickname which, apparently, is given and accepted with no offence meant or taken. It appears to be used in the same spirit that Alvaro Fernandez is called "El Flaco", which means skinny.

These words are not easy - perhaps almost impossible - to translate into a contemporary English context. How do you judge the weight of a word uttered in a foreign language from a different mindset?

When Mick Jagger wailed "Hey Negrita" on the Rolling Stones song, his words were surely intended in praise. If it is true that Suarez used a similar word to address Evra, this would not seem to be the case.

But how to know when this word ceases to be descriptive and becomes pejorative? And for the FA disciplinary committee, how to avoid kicking the case around like a political football?

Suarez provided them with a problem - but also with an opportunity.

Context is crucial, not just in what Suarez may have done, but also in how it is judged. When Sepp Blatter apologised for appearing to suggest racist remarks could be overcome with a handshake, it gave English football another chance to indulge in Fifa-bashing.

There must have been a temptation to throw the book at Suarez and send a strong anti-racist message to the world. The severity of the verdict would seem to indicate that this was a temptation the disciplinary board were not able to resist.

When moral panic is whipped up, coherence tends to fly out of the window. Some of those calling for Blatter's head on the racism issue are the very people who believed that everything was fine with Fifa while Sir Stanley Rous of England was in charge from 1961 to 1974.

Rous seriously damaged the development of African football with his defence of Apartheid in South Africa - a stance which looked awful at the time and was disastrous in hindsight.

In his campaign to unseat Rous in 1974, Brazilian Joao Havelange made a point of showing physical intimacy with the African delegates. An Englishman, he reasoned, would not do the same.

Thankfully England is much-changed since then.

English football can be proud of its anti-racism work but it should be remembered that what has happened in our country is a domestic dynamic. Mass immigration starting in the 1950s brought in hundreds of thousands of newcomers with full political rights - and so the discrimination they suffered could only be put down to racism.

Football made this sickeningly obvious. The Caribbean descendants who started to make an impact on the pitch from the late 1960s had to put up with all kinds of abuse. Over time a consensus formed around the belief that racist behaviour was unacceptable.

This dynamic does not necessarily apply elsewhere. In South America the legacy of centuries of slavery can make attitudes towards race more entrenched - but also more subtle. Elsewhere, to the east of Europe, for example, there has been very little exposure to the kind of multi-cultural existence that has become the norm in Britain.

This in no way invalidates the anti-racist position of English football. But it does mean that if the debate is to be won - and that surely must be the objective - then there are dangers in the moralistic holier-than-thou approach that the English can be prone to take.

This issue provides a real opportunity for English football to do some good - and also for the Football Association to improve its global profile. Much depends on how it is handled.

There is little to be gained in hectoring other nations and individuals with a moral high ground position of, "We're not racist, you are". Instead, there might be room for a position of leadership with a huge dose of humility.

"This is the problem of racism that we faced in our game," could be the line to football authorities around the world. "This is what we decided to do about it and, although we are nowhere near perfect, we feel we have made a lot of progress. Some of this may be useful to you".

My hope is that any punishment administered to Luis Suarez has been guided by this spirit. My fear is that this has not been the case.

A few weeks ago the penultimate set of games in the Brazilian championship was named the "Round against Racism". All over the country teams had their photo taken behind a banner saying "Say no to racism. Racism is a crime".

The measure, though, was not accompanied by any attempt to stimulate a debate on the subject - on why there are so few black coaches, for example, or on taking legal action when members of the crowd make monkey noises, as occasionally happens in Brazilian stadiums.

The impression was that the Brazilian FA were playing politics. Its president Ricardo Teixeira had fallen out with Fifa boss Blatter. When Blatter put his foot in his mouth on the racism issue, Teixeira saw his opportunity.

"The Round against Racism" was nothing of the sort. In reality, cynically and opportunistically, it was the "Round against Blatter".

The English FA have now left themselves open to the same accusation of cynicism. What Suarez is alleged to have done is wrong. To draw attention to the colour of someone's skin in a manner that could be construed as pejorative is not acceptable in our reality.

There is a clear case for punishment as part of a process of education. But the eight-game ban would seem to go much further. It smacks of the FA seizing on a chance to score a political point. Were they really judging a case, or are they more interested in landing a glove on Sepp Blatter?

http://news.bbc.co.u...ll/16262537.stm

[Flojo]

tbh the problem with the GH thing for me was the fact he was celebrating his dishonest act on the sidelines. He didnt care that he'd done something wrong because the end result went in his favour. That tells me a lot about a person's character.

Look at the difference with Solskjaer, walking off head down in shame.

What? It was a foul and he was punished as severely as any referee could.

If I remember rightly your title challenge was in the balance when that game was played and you needed to win, at that point you were losing or drawing so why would he be celebrating when you still weren't winning?

Suarez celebrated when the penalty was missed and his team went through to the world Cup semis and it was because of his sacrifice, if Gyan did the same he would have pulled out an excluse dance move.

[FANTA]

Good article that from Tim Vickery

Some interesting points minus the Liverpool bias

[Guest M12 Part 2]

im not saying gyan wouldnt have done it but im 99% sure he wouldnt have started dancing because hes not a c*nt.

Its mad how peoples opinions of some players are so blurred.

This guy has a reputation preceding him for being a c*nt, a cheat and now a racist but you are all lapping him up.

Yet said guys will be writing essays on why CR9 is a wanker. a guy who gets kicked every week and doesnt react and never says a bad word about anyone.

[Guest Portuguese]

Every team has their own grade A c*nt

Look at Madrid we have a few of them

At the end of the day Suarez is capable of anything but why did Evra act like a bitch if it was racial abuse

[mp*]

coz

[Flojo]

im not saying gyan wouldnt have done it but im 99% sure he wouldnt have started dancing because hes not a c*nt.

Its mad how peoples opinions of some players are so blurred.

This guy has a reputation preceding him for being a c*nt, a cheat and now a racist but you are all lapping him up.

Yet said guys will be writing essays on why CR9 is a wanker. a guy who gets kicked every week and doesnt react and never says a bad word about anyone.

A handball is cheating in the same way a purposeful foul is, you do it knowing that you will pay the penalty.

When Phil Neville hand balled it on the goal line in the derby a few years back nobody gave a fuck. He did it and paid the penalty. We scored we won and it was forgotten.

Suarez did the same, it's just that Gyan missed the pen. He wants to win badly but a will to win doesn't make him more likely to be a racist. You think Gyan wouldn't have celebrated because his team made the semi's of the WC because he didn't want to offend any Uruguayans? lol ok.

and if you wanna talk about cunts how about we refer to some of the most celebrated players of your club?

Cantona - most famous for fly kicking a spectator.

Keane - purposely tried to end another players career.

Best - when asked about Andy Cole said that 'it was a lot of money to pay for a nigger'

I beg Man Utd fans stop coming with this holier than thou rhetoric, it doesn't suit or fit you.

[Flojo]

I woulda done the Suarez thing as well.

I remember when Babel scored v Arsenal in the CL and Fabregas tried to run beside him when he could have just fouled him, i was baffled.

If you aren't prepared to take them sort of risks on my team you can fuck off tbh.

[Guest Portuguese]

George Best said what?

Another thing did Schmeichel really racially abuse Wright?

Because true say years later they were behaving like best friends.

[Guest Portuguese]

I woulda done the Suarez thing as well.

I remember when Babel scored v Arsenal in the CL and Fabregas tried to run beside him when he could have just fouled him, i was baffled.

If you aren't prepared to take them sort of risks on my team you can fuck off tbh.

It's continental thing

We have seen guys take one for the team(cards) when their team are on the back foot

[Flojo]

George Best said what?

Another thing did Schmeichel really racially abuse Wright?

Because true say years later they were behaving like best friends.

In 1995, while he and Rodney Marsh were offering paying guests the chance of an evening with George and Rodney (to quote the bible again – a fool and his money are rich pickings) he was asked about the sale of Andy Cole. The Guardian reported his response: "£7 million is a lot to pay for a nigger". In a profile published in August 2002 just after he'd got his new liver, the Sunday Times claimed that at a footballers' dinner in Belfast he'd said Pele was "not bad for a nigger".

As for Wright I don't know but you can see what Wright's persona is like and determine whether he seems the type to let bygones be bygones.

[Young £]

A RAWK Poster (pool forum)

the best thing to happen tomorrow is for glen johnson to give luis an obvious hug before the game, then luis to bang in a hat trick.

lol a Red Cafe poster

:rofl:

[FANTA]

RAWK playing a blinder mate!

[mp*]

[Seydou]

I woulda done the Suarez thing as well.

I remember when Babel scored v Arsenal in the CL and Fabregas tried to run beside him when he could have just fouled him, i was baffled.

If you aren't prepared to take them sort of risks on my team you can fuck off tbh.

Cesc aint got it in him.

[Guest phonecharger]

all my Ghanaians stand up

di karma was strong

[JOHN DOE]

Lol I remember when Solksjaer done that was jokes. The old school FIFA hard last minute tackles there

[JOHN DOE]

And yes I would've done the Suarez thing and Solksjaer most of us would've but the fact is we haven't Suarez did and therefore he's a c*nt in my eyes and woe betide him. Solksjaer is a don for doing that rags. You know why I say he's a don. It's because I support man u. But if he was a racist I would call for his head. You man have a racist c*nt in ur ranks and ur still defending man. Lost Negritas

[Greens]

Don't really understand why others think we shouldn't still support him when both he and the club deny any racist abuse and disagree completely with the decision from the FA. Every fan will back their club until evidence is provided that proves otherwise.

[Flojo]

And yes I would've done the Suarez thing and Solksjaer most of us would've but the fact is we haven't Suarez did and therefore he's a c*nt in my eyes and woe betide him. Solksjaer is a don for doing that rags. You know why I say he's a don. It's because I support man u. But if he was a racist I would call for his head. You man have a racist c*nt in ur ranks and ur still defending man. Lost Negritas

If Suarez was racist I'd condemn him no qualarms but when you look at the evidence and what he did it's obvious to me he isn't.

Because only him and Evra heard what was said he could have flat out denied saying anything and walked away easily. He didn't, he admitted to using the term negrito because as he understands it the term isn't racist.

I believe him and apparently Evra has said he doesn't think Suarez is racist in the FA statement so it looks like the FA doing their best to trump FIFA's woeful stance on actual cases of racism.

/

We've seen examples of Liverpool players being the poster boy for short lived FA led campaigns before (RESPECT campaign, Mascherano) lets hope this one lasts a little longer and unlike last time we don't see English players getting away with a lot more. 8+ games for Terry please.

[The Infamous]

Has evra got twitter?

[The Infamous]

You get 3 match ban if you admit u were racist

and you get a 8 match ban if your not racist/dont admit to being racist

BIG FAT CHEERS TO DA FA

[Lieutenant]

Thread is jokes. Every pool fan is backing a man just charged with racial abuse. I know they say love is blind but fucking hell.

In the same breath I don't think this incident alone proves he is a racist but imo he does deserve the ban for calling evra what he did