Suarez United blast reignites Evra racism row

Luis Suarez dramatically reignited the racism row with Patrice Evra by claiming Manchester United demanded action against him because they wanted to derail Liverpool’s season.

Suarez was hit with an eight-match ban and £40,000 (€51,000) fine after being found guilty by an independent commission of racially abusing Evra.

The Uruguayan forward, who captains his national team against Great Britain in the Olympics, went on to claim his handshake snub with Evra the following February was just “a misunderstanding” adding the fallout from that incident was a reflection of United’s political power within the English game. Suarez went on to speak of his tears during the week he was on trial, the words of encouragement he received from skipper Steven Gerrard, and the Liverpool players’ talk of a new centre-forward when goals, and luck, evaded Suarez and Andy Carroll. But it is Suarez’s comments about the racism row, coming days after John Terry was cleared by a criminal court of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, that will cause the north-west rivalry to rear up again. “It was so hard what happened to me,” said Suarez of the Evra case. “People at the club are sure it was a way United used to get me out of the team and stop Liverpool. I don’t show my emotions on the pitch, but away from it I do. I cried a lot with all the Evra stuff. The trial week was so complicated for me. My wife and I cried a lot during that week. That’s when I realised which people supported me.

“I had to go to Manchester in a taxi for the trial. I got up at 7am and I came home at 9pm. I was exhausted, I was so tired. I wanted to cry and kick all the things around me. I couldn’t do that because my daughter was at home. They were difficult days, and then things became harder after the punishment.”

Suarez, speaking to Uruguayan TV show RR Gol, went on to explain the snubbed handshake with Evra at Old Trafford four months later was just a misunderstanding, as it had been his intention to shake the Frenchman’s hand.

“Before the match, I promised my wife, manager and the directors I was going to shake hands with Evra. Why not, I thought, because I had no problems with him. I had been punished because of him, but I had no problems with shaking hands. But I was not forced to greet him. In fact, there was the possibility that neither Man United nor Liverpool’s players would shake hands, as happened between QPR and Chelsea. But I thought why not, if my punishment was over. I had no problems with Evra. It was only a handshake and I was OK with that. But it was a misunderstanding, what happened next. The TV broadcast in England showed the moment when I walked in front of him, but they didn’t see he had his hand low before then. Only the media in Uruguay and also in Spain showed that I wanted to shake his hand.”

Then came the comment that summed up Suarez’s feelings about the case, and may come back to haunt him. “In England, United has this political power, and you have to respect that and shut your mouth.”