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Unreliable and inconsistent! Suarez blasted as FA release details of race row evidence By Rob Draper
Last updated at 11:59 PM on 31st December 2011
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Luis Suarez used the Spanish words 'negro' or 'negros' seven times in a sustained verbal assault on Patrice Evra, according to the Football Association's disciplinary commission that heard the case.
The FA, who published the commission's 115-page judgement on Saturday night, cast doubt on the version of events given by Liverpool striker Suarez, undermining the club's campaign to back the Uruguayan, who has been banned for eight matches for racial abuse.
Blasted: Liverpool's Luis Suarez gave 'unreliable' and 'inconsistent' evidence to the FA
And Liverpool's chances of successfully appealing appear to have diminished after the full written reasons for the ban were released last night. The FA report says Suarez's evidence was 'unreliable in matters of critical importance' and 'inconsistent with the contemporaneous evidence, especially the video footage'.
The FA rejected Suarez's assertion that he had used the word 'negro' - Spanish for black and commonly used both with and without racist overtones in South America - in a friendly manner as 'incredible' and doubled what would ordinarily have been a four-match ban because he used the word seven times.
Total support: Liverpool have continued to back their star man
By contrast, the FA found that Evra was 'a credible witness' and that he gave evidence 'in a calm and composed way' and was 'for the most part consistent'.
Evra, for his part, admitted using obscene language at the start of his clash with Suarez.
The FA Disciplinary Commission, composed of Paul Goulding QC, Brian Jones, the chairman of Sheffield and Hallamshire FA, and former player and manager Denis Smith, decided that the likeliest version of events was that Evra initially spoke to Suarez aggressively, using foul and abusive language to ask why he had fouled him, and that Suarez responded by saying, in Spanish: 'Because you are black.'
Controversial: Suarez has been involved in several high profile incidents since joining Liverpool a year ago
Evra then responded, in Spanish: 'Say it to me again, I'm going to punch you!' to which Suarez replied: 'I don't speak to blacks.'
Continuing in Spanish, Evra said: 'Okay, now I think I'm going to punch you.'
Suarez responded: 'Dale, negro, negro, negro.' Having consulted linguistic experts, the commission decided that this had the colloquial meaning: 'Okay, blackie, blackie, blackie.'
The commission also decided that Suarez used the word 'negro' twice more in separate conversations around the incident in the 63rd minute of the Liverpool- Manchester United game on October 15.
Suraez's defence was that he used the word 'negro' only once and that it was when Evra is alleged to have said to him: 'Don't touch me, South American.' Suarez said he had replied: 'Por que, negro,' or 'Why, black?'
He argued that his use of the word 'negro' did not equate to the racially offensive English meaning but was meant affectionately, as he claimed is often the case in Uruguay.
He also insisted that he used the word in a conciliatory manner. The commission accepted that the meaning was more nuanced in Spanish and the FA commissioned a report by two experts on the use of Spanish in Uruguay, to adjudicate on that claim.
Trouble: Suarez has had another game bolted on to his suspension for this gesture to Fulham fans
They accepted that Suarez did not use the word in a way that could reasonably be translated as '************' but they rejected Suarez's assertion that there was no abuse or insult intended.
The FA, who brought the case against Suarez, also stated in the argument that they did not contend that Suarez had acted out of 'deep-seated racial prejudice' but that it was likely that Suarez was 'seeking to provoke Mr Evra to cause him to be sent off, thereby gaining a competitive advantage in the game' and added that such behaviour was to be 'deplored'.
Evidence presented on Suarez's side to show that he was not racist included the fact that he was made captain of the Dutch side Ajax, a multi-racial team, and it was revealed that he has a black grandfather.
Flashpoint: The ugly exchange was sparked by a foul
Suarez also accepted that he should not have used the Spanish word 'negro' and vowed that he would not do so again on a football pitch in England.
However, the crucial point in opting for an eight-match ban was that they believed Evra's account, that Suarez had used the words 'negro' or 'negros' seven times, which aggravated the offence. The commission stated: 'The first aggravating factor was the number of times Mr Suarez used the word "negro" or "negros".
'We have found that Mr Suarez used [them] seven times in his exchanges with Mr Evra.
'Whilst we recognised that the exchanges occurred over only a two-minute spell in the second half of the match, there were multiple uses of the insulting words by Mr Suarez.
'The second aggravating factor was what Mr Suarez said when using the insulting words.
'He did not simply use the word "negro" to address Mr Evra. He did that, but he also said that he had kicked Mr Evra because he was black and that he did not talk to blacks.
SUAREZ VERDICTRead the FA's full 115-page release by clicking here
'Even if Mr Suarez said these things in the heat of the moment without really meaning them, nevertheless this was more than just calling Mr Evra "negro".
According to the Spanish language experts, the uses would have been regarded as racially offensive in Uruguay.'
The FA commission also took account of the fact that Suarez had pinched Evra in the confrontation and that he had directed the words at him and intended for them to be heard.
But they also accepted that Evra had provoked the confrontation. Liverpool said in a statement:'The player, the club and our legal advisors will now take the necessary amount of time to read, digest and properly consider the contents of the judgement and will make no further comment at present.'
Liverpool have until January 13 to respond, meaning Suarez can play in their next three games, including their Carling Cup semi-final first leg trip to Manchester City on January 11.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1iCZXIQkY
Last updated at 11:59 PM on 31st December 2011
Comments (5) Share
Luis Suarez used the Spanish words 'negro' or 'negros' seven times in a sustained verbal assault on Patrice Evra, according to the Football Association's disciplinary commission that heard the case.
The FA, who published the commission's 115-page judgement on Saturday night, cast doubt on the version of events given by Liverpool striker Suarez, undermining the club's campaign to back the Uruguayan, who has been banned for eight matches for racial abuse.
Blasted: Liverpool's Luis Suarez gave 'unreliable' and 'inconsistent' evidence to the FA
And Liverpool's chances of successfully appealing appear to have diminished after the full written reasons for the ban were released last night. The FA report says Suarez's evidence was 'unreliable in matters of critical importance' and 'inconsistent with the contemporaneous evidence, especially the video footage'.
The FA rejected Suarez's assertion that he had used the word 'negro' - Spanish for black and commonly used both with and without racist overtones in South America - in a friendly manner as 'incredible' and doubled what would ordinarily have been a four-match ban because he used the word seven times.
Total support: Liverpool have continued to back their star man
By contrast, the FA found that Evra was 'a credible witness' and that he gave evidence 'in a calm and composed way' and was 'for the most part consistent'.
Evra, for his part, admitted using obscene language at the start of his clash with Suarez.
The FA Disciplinary Commission, composed of Paul Goulding QC, Brian Jones, the chairman of Sheffield and Hallamshire FA, and former player and manager Denis Smith, decided that the likeliest version of events was that Evra initially spoke to Suarez aggressively, using foul and abusive language to ask why he had fouled him, and that Suarez responded by saying, in Spanish: 'Because you are black.'
Controversial: Suarez has been involved in several high profile incidents since joining Liverpool a year ago
Evra then responded, in Spanish: 'Say it to me again, I'm going to punch you!' to which Suarez replied: 'I don't speak to blacks.'
Continuing in Spanish, Evra said: 'Okay, now I think I'm going to punch you.'
Suarez responded: 'Dale, negro, negro, negro.' Having consulted linguistic experts, the commission decided that this had the colloquial meaning: 'Okay, blackie, blackie, blackie.'
The commission also decided that Suarez used the word 'negro' twice more in separate conversations around the incident in the 63rd minute of the Liverpool- Manchester United game on October 15.
Suraez's defence was that he used the word 'negro' only once and that it was when Evra is alleged to have said to him: 'Don't touch me, South American.' Suarez said he had replied: 'Por que, negro,' or 'Why, black?'
He argued that his use of the word 'negro' did not equate to the racially offensive English meaning but was meant affectionately, as he claimed is often the case in Uruguay.
He also insisted that he used the word in a conciliatory manner. The commission accepted that the meaning was more nuanced in Spanish and the FA commissioned a report by two experts on the use of Spanish in Uruguay, to adjudicate on that claim.
Trouble: Suarez has had another game bolted on to his suspension for this gesture to Fulham fans
They accepted that Suarez did not use the word in a way that could reasonably be translated as '************' but they rejected Suarez's assertion that there was no abuse or insult intended.
The FA, who brought the case against Suarez, also stated in the argument that they did not contend that Suarez had acted out of 'deep-seated racial prejudice' but that it was likely that Suarez was 'seeking to provoke Mr Evra to cause him to be sent off, thereby gaining a competitive advantage in the game' and added that such behaviour was to be 'deplored'.
Evidence presented on Suarez's side to show that he was not racist included the fact that he was made captain of the Dutch side Ajax, a multi-racial team, and it was revealed that he has a black grandfather.
Flashpoint: The ugly exchange was sparked by a foul
Suarez also accepted that he should not have used the Spanish word 'negro' and vowed that he would not do so again on a football pitch in England.
However, the crucial point in opting for an eight-match ban was that they believed Evra's account, that Suarez had used the words 'negro' or 'negros' seven times, which aggravated the offence. The commission stated: 'The first aggravating factor was the number of times Mr Suarez used the word "negro" or "negros".
'We have found that Mr Suarez used [them] seven times in his exchanges with Mr Evra.
'Whilst we recognised that the exchanges occurred over only a two-minute spell in the second half of the match, there were multiple uses of the insulting words by Mr Suarez.
'The second aggravating factor was what Mr Suarez said when using the insulting words.
'He did not simply use the word "negro" to address Mr Evra. He did that, but he also said that he had kicked Mr Evra because he was black and that he did not talk to blacks.
SUAREZ VERDICTRead the FA's full 115-page release by clicking here
'Even if Mr Suarez said these things in the heat of the moment without really meaning them, nevertheless this was more than just calling Mr Evra "negro".
According to the Spanish language experts, the uses would have been regarded as racially offensive in Uruguay.'
The FA commission also took account of the fact that Suarez had pinched Evra in the confrontation and that he had directed the words at him and intended for them to be heard.
But they also accepted that Evra had provoked the confrontation. Liverpool said in a statement:'The player, the club and our legal advisors will now take the necessary amount of time to read, digest and properly consider the contents of the judgement and will make no further comment at present.'
Liverpool have until January 13 to respond, meaning Suarez can play in their next three games, including their Carling Cup semi-final first leg trip to Manchester City on January 11.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1iCZXIQkY
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