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.