Statement from Luis Suarez

[H18sry]

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/lates...om-luis-suarez Not appealing his ban

[Cropley10]

Which is the right thing to do.

[Scouse Hibee]

Very poor statement in my opinion!

[H18sry]

It is our strongly held conviction that the Football Association and the panel it selected constructed a highly subjective case against Luis Suarez based on an accusation that was ultimately unsubstantiated.

The FA and the panel chose to consistently and methodically accept and embrace arguments leading to a set of conclusions that found Mr. Suarez to "probably" be guilty while in the same manner deciding to completely dismiss the testimony that countered their overall suppositions.
Mr. Evra was deemed to be credible in spite of admitting that he himself used insulting and threatening words towards Luis and that his initial charge as to the word used was somehow a mistake.

The facts in this case were that an accusation was made, a rebuttal was given and there was video of the match. The remaining facts came from testimony of people who did not corroborate any accusation made by Mr. Evra.

In its determination to prove its conclusions to the public through a clearly subjective 115-page document, the FA panel has damaged the reputation of one the Premier League's best players, deciding he should be punished and banned for perhaps a quarter of a season. This case has also provided a template in which a club's rival can bring about a significant ban for a top player without anything beyond an accusation.

Nevertheless, there are ultimately larger issues than whether or not Luis Suarez has been treated fairly by the Football Association in this matter. There are important points we want to make today that overshadow what has occurred during the past two months.

The issue of race in sports, as in other industries, has a very poor history. Far too often, and in far too many countries, the issues of racism and discrimination have been covered over or ignored.

In America, where Liverpool ownership resides, there was a shameful bigotry that prevented black athletes from competing at the highest levels for decades.

English football has led the world in welcoming all nationalities and creeds into its Premier League and its leagues below, and Liverpool Football Club itself has been a leader in taking a progressive stance on issues of race and inclusion. The Luis Suarez case has to end so that the Premier League, the Football Association and the Club can continue the progress that has been made and will continue to be made and not risk a perception, at least by some, that would diminish our commitment on these issues.

Liverpool Football Club have supported Luis Suarez because we fundamentally do not believe that Luis on that day - or frankly any other - did or would engage in a racist act. Notably, his actions on and off the pitch with his teammates and in the community have demonstrated his belief that all athletes can play together and that the colour of a person's skin is irrelevant.

Continuing a fight for justice in this particular case beyond today would only obscure the fact that the Club wholeheartedly supports the efforts of the Football Association, the Football League and the Premier League to put an end to any form of racism in English football.

It is time to put the Luis Suarez matter to rest and for all of us, going forward, to work together to stamp out racism in every form both inside and outside the sport.

It is for this reason that we will not appeal the eight-game suspension of Luis Suarez.

[Wotherspiniesta]

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Very poor statement in my opinion!

Lost me after the first patrionising line.

How the **** is England a "small country"?

[Hibs Class]

Statements issued by both Suarez and the club. Both utterly classless and clueless. Disgraceful.

[CallumLaidlaw]

I thought I was Reading a Romanov statement!!

[SidBurns]

His first game back will be against Manure on 11th February - LET THE GAMES BEGIN! :o)

[AgentDaleCooper]

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Lost me after the first patrionising line.

How the **** is England a "small country"?

how the **** did you get that it was England he was referring to?

[Sir David Gray]

Kind of makes their t-shirt stunt the other week look even more pathetic that it did at the time.

As for the "YNWA" signature at the bottom of the article...

[AgentDaleCooper]

also, wtf was disgusting about those statements? words are just words, it's social conventions that change their meanings, and if one has not been made aware of the common usage and connotations of a word, then it's hard to see how one could be justifiably landed in huge trouble for it. it could indeed be the case (i'm hypothesising here, as i have no idea) that in uruguay, racism is far less of a problem, i.e. race not being problematic or sensitive issue, and thus referring to someone in such a way is equivalent to calling someone 'blondie' or 'big man' or whatever.

in this case, it needn't be such a massive deal IMO

some people enjoy getting upset though...

[CallumLaidlaw]

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also, wtf was disgusting about those statements? words are just words, it's social conventions that change their meanings, and if one has not been made aware of the common usage and connotations of a word, then it's hard to see how one could be justifiably landed in huge trouble for it. it could indeed be the case (i'm hypothesising here, as i have no idea) that in uruguay, racism is far less of a problem, i.e. race not being problematic or sensitive issue, and thus referring to someone in such a way is equivalent to calling someone 'blondie' or 'big man' or whatever.

in this case, it needn't be such a massive deal IMO

some people enjoy getting upset though...

I find it hard to believe that any large club like liverpool don't spend some time with any new foreign signings going over any differences in culture

[Onceinawhile]

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Lost me after the first patrionising line.

How the **** is England a "small country"?

Isn't that a saurez statement? And he says he was brought up in a small country... e.g Uruguay. Which is about sizes with Scotland. So as far as I can see that's fair.

[AgentDaleCooper]

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I find it hard to believe that any large club like liverpool don't spend some time with any new foreign signings going over any differences in culture

so you think there WAS a racist motivation to his comment to evra, and that he has deceived liverpool and lied outrageously over the last few weeks?

THIS, i find hard to believe. surely if this had been the case, he'd have wanted to keep as low profile as possible throughout the episode.

[PeeJay]

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Lost me after the first patrionising line.

How the **** is England a "small country"?

Relatively speaking - England is a small country, surely? http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/world_...cs_by_area.htm

[hibsbollah]

Liverpool FC used to be an institution you had to respect, whether you like the team or not. Not any longer.

[HIBERNIAN-0762]

Liverpool back their childish best under Dalglish

[AgentDaleCooper]

i properly can't understand what everyone is so appalled by

[Hibs Class]

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so you think there WAS a racist motivation to his comment to evra, and that he has deceived liverpool and lied outrageously over the last few weeks?

THIS, i find hard to believe. surely if this had been the case, he'd have wanted to keep as low profile as possible throughout the episode.

Why do you find it hard to believe? It certainly seens a likelier explanation than that offered by suarez in his defence.

[Wotherspiniesta]

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how the **** did you get that it was England he was referring to?

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Isn't that a saurez statement? And he says he was brought up in a small country... e.g Uruguay. Which is about sizes with Scotland. So as far as I can see that's fair.

Suarez : "Like many of you I was born into a very humble family, in a working class neighbourhood, in a small country"

Like I said, seems quite patrionising.

[AgentDaleCooper]

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Why do you find it hard to believe? It certainly seens a likelier explanation than that offered by suarez in his defence.

from wikipedia (though it's regarding argentina, i'd imagine they are culturally similar in the way we are with england and other english speaking countries):

In Spanish, negro literally means "black male" and negra means "black female". Negro and negra are widely-used terms in Argentina, across all social classes, including in those classes which are referred to as negro and negra by other social groups. Negro is also one of the most common nicknames, with no offensive meaning.

seems to chime with what suarez was saying, no?

[leither17]

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Suarez : "Like many of you I was born into a very humble family, in a working class neighbourhood, in a small country"

Like I said, seems quite patrionising.

But I was born and raised learning what respect, manners and sacrifice mean


thats the next line of it

[AgentDaleCooper]

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Suarez : "Like many of you I was born into a very humble family, in a working class neighbourhood, in a small country"

Like I said, seems quite patrionising.

i think you're worrying a little bit too much about that - and besides, you don't need to be a racist to be patronising, do you.

[Broken Gnome]

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i properly can't understand what everyone is so appalled by

Accepting a ban under the insistence Suarez has still done nothing wrong, despite it being common knowledge now that he AGGRESSIVELY used the word negro, probably leaves a bad taste in the mouth with a lot of people.

[AgentDaleCooper]

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Accepting a ban under the insistence Suarez has still done nothing wrong, despite it being common knowledge now that he AGGRESSIVELY used the word negro, probably leaves a bad taste in the mouth with a lot of people.

source? are you confusing 'knowledge' with 'assumption'?

[Wotherspiniesta]

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But I was born and raised learning what respect, manners and sacrifice mean


thats the next line of it

When Evra challenged him to repeat the answer and said he would "punch him", Suarez said: "I don't speak to blacks."

Aye, very respectful.

[AgentDaleCooper]

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When Evra challenged him to repeat the answer and said he would "punch him", Suarez said: "I don't speak to blacks."

Aye, very respectful.

if that is the case, then fair enough, he should be hammered.

still though...source?

[Sir David Gray]

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if that is the case, then fair enough, he should be hammered.

still though...source?

It's in the FA's 115 page report on the incident, which Liverpool received last week.

[Wotherspiniesta]

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if that is the case, then fair enough, he should be hammered.

still though...source?

Have you even bothered reading anything on this?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/16375963.stm

[Hibs Class]

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from wikipedia (though it's regarding argentina, i'd imagine they are culturally similar in the way we are with england and other english speaking countries):




seems to chime with what suarez was saying, no?

Suarez described his language / use of the term as friendly and conciliatory. This was rejected given that it took place in the context of an acrimonious argument. I don't imagine too many people will be persuaded by suarez's evidence, bearing in mind it was based on balance of probabilities rather than beyond a reasonable doubt.