Powar calls on FA to punish Pool

THE head of European football’s anti-racism group has urged the FA to charge Liverpool with bringing the game into disrepute over their response to Luis Suarez’s eight-match ban.

Piara Powar, executive director ofEuropean football’s anti-discrimination body FARE, said Kenny Dalglish’scomments had been “undignified” and their reaction had damaged the club’s brand. “This is a lack of respect for the governing body by Liverpool and the FA should charge Liverpool FC and Kenny Dalglish,” he said.

“I think the FA should come back now and be very clear that Liverpool could be construed to have brought the game into disrepute by the way in which they have consistently undermined the judgement and by Kenny Dalglish’s comments.

“Liverpool have been too keen tosupport their man and in doing so have whipped up a sense of paranoia amongst their fans. This is not the Liverpool FC that we have applauded in the past for their support for a whole range of issues. The responses from Kenny Dalglish have been undignified; the way in which they have dealt with the whole matter has been unprofessional. For the club to so aggressively militate against what looks to most people a considered judgement from the FA leads to a potential for anarchy.”

Powar said reaction from his colleagues in other parts of the world made him believe the affair was damaging Liverpool.

“They have damaged their brand, no question. There is no question that Liverpool do have a global appeal, but I have emails from colleagues in Africa asking me what the hell is going on.

“I think people will be watching this and I believe there is no question that their plans for global expansion will have been damaged by this. That’s not to say they cannot come back from this but it has done them a lot of damage.”

Powar’s call comes after Lord Ouseley, the chairman on Britishfootball’s anti-racism group ‘Kick It Out’, called Liverpool “hypocritical” and Suarez’s apology “lamentable”.

Ouseley also described Liverpool players wearing T-shirts in support of Suarez as “dreadful”.

“Suarez’s attempt at a belated apology is nothing short of lamentable,” he said. “I cannot believe a club of Liverpool’s stature, and with how it has previously led on matters of social injustice and inequality, can allow its integrity and credibility to be debased by such crass and ill-considered responses.”