Suarez & Evra. The Full Story.

Suarez Online video Rating: four / five

Racismo uruguayo, Luis Suárez a Patrice Evra ‘Te pego porque eres negro’

Suarez Online video Score: 1 / 5

Football: Liverpool Luis Suarez charged wth racially abusing Manchester United Patrice Evra

Suarez Video clip Score: 2 / five

TIME TO MAKE UP

The former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has said that he hopes that both Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra understand the importance of the first home match at Anfield since the publication of the Hillsborough report. Both players have a history of not getting on well after the Uruguay striker was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra in the same fixture last season. Since then, the pair had declined the opportunity to shake hands prior to the start of the Premier league match. However, it is expected that both clubs will be looking forward to the players shaking the hands ahead of this historic match.

The former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler has said that the players should understand the importance of this match. The Hillsborough tragedy claimed 96 lives in 1989. However, the official report has been given to the public viewing only now after many years of Liverpool fans demanding justice. Robbie Fowler has said that the match between the two clubs on Sunday will be highly emotional. Liverpool fans have often chanted bad things about the Manchester United’s Munich disaster, while Liverpool have suffered the same fate with regard to the Hillsborough disaster.

“It would be nice for Luis Suárez to put some flowers at the United end regarding [the] Munich [air disaster], and for Patrice Evra to do so at the Kop. The two clubs do have a rivalry, but some things are far more important than football and this is one of them,” said Robbie Fowler ahead of this match. Liverpool come into the match on the back of the 5-3 win in the Europa league. However, most of the first-team regulars like Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard were rested for this match. Manchester United on the back of the 1-0 win over Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Suarez Charged with Racism

Luis Suarez has been charged by the FA for an incident involving Manchester United’s Patrice Evra on 15 October.  The FA released a statement charging the Uruguayan with alleged “abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards Patrice Evra.”  The statement went on to say that Suarez allegedly used “a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race” of Evra.

Since the accusations began immediately after the 1-1 draw between Manchester United and Liverpool, Suarez has categorically denied any wrongdoing. His club have offered their full support throughout the affair, and are said to be surprised at the FA’s decision to charge him. Suarez is currently expected to plead not guilty, though he did admit to calling Evra a name which his Manchester United team-mates apparently call him on a regular basis.

The exchange between the two premiership players during the match is understood to have been partly in English and partly in Spanish – causing an added complication. The FA are looking into the different meanings associated with certain words by different languages and nationalities.

These charges come at a time when racism in football is under the spotlight due to FIFA’s president Sepp Blatter’s ill-advised comments on the subject. Blatter denied that racism was a problem in football and said that although racial remarks are sometimes made on the pitch, enmities are forgotten after the game when players shake hands. Belittling the problem of racism in this manner has drawn widespread criticism from the footballing community. Among others, PFA chief Gordon Taylor has called for Blatter’s resignation.

Whatever the result of the charge, the investigation will be paid extra attention by the media. If he is found guilty Suarez risks being made an example by the FA. In this high-profile case, there is the chance that the FA will take the opportunity to show their strong stance on the issue of racism.