Liverpool striker Luis Suarez's Uruguay team mates have leapt to his defence over his eight-match suspension in England for an alleged racist remark against Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
They said people in Uruguay, where a large percentage of the population is black or of mixed race, were not racist and used terms such as 'negro' in an affectionate manner or as nicknames.
"I can't believe it. They're making a big mistake. It's obvious that in England there's a racism problem they're trying to eradicate, and that's good, but this sentence has no solid arguments," Uruguay captain Diego Lugano said.
"Luis is a victim. I can't understand how a player like Evra can do this. He's breaking all the codes of football. We all know what kind of person Luis is and the values he has," the Paris St Germain defender wrote on his personal website (www.diegolugano.org).
The English FA suspended Suarez for eight matches and fined him 40,000 pounds ($62,800) for racially abusing Evra during a Premier League match at Anfield in October, saying he used "insulting words" in a reference to the French international's colour.
Lazio winger Alvaro Gonzalez, who won the Copa America with Uruguay in Argentina in July, said: "All of us who know Luis, we know that if he made this remark it wasn't (meant to be) insulting.
"We Uruguayans, and more so in football, use terms that can be wrongly interpreted by people from other places...it's not a reason to call a Uruguayan a racist," he was quoted as saying by the Montevideo newspaper El Pais.
Gonzalez said Uruguay had a high percentage of people of African descent and that "Uruguayans often call friends 'negro' affectionately".
"Maybe we end up paying for entering other, perhaps more closed cultures and which surely have discriminated against Evra at some moment for him to feel attacked in this situation."
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If FA is not Ferguson's Assistance why the hell would they cancel Rooney's red card from World Cup. if they do it so I'm sure they are Ferguson's Assistance!
Recism always make peoples to be looking as a fool. why should you called a black man negro? are you out of your mind? then how if a black man called a white man pig? how could you feel.? stop using that @#$% name. in here malaysia also use to called black man Negro which is very sad to hear. but we african we are not suprise to hear such thing like that. cause we know that we are more better and important for everything in this world. so continue to called that name Negro. one day you gonna get punishment from god.. just remember that
mmhhh negro? why
Luis Saurez has had enough time playing football in Europe to know what he was saying if this is not the case Why ?
Wonder who's right, a leading QC or angry scousers
"we all know what kind of a person luis is and the values he has" quote from diego lugano uruguay captain.
yeah we do deigo remember the world cup the cheating goofy prick
its amazing how many people are backing suarez including some black players, even other teams are saying the fa are happy to help man u but no one else and its true.
The reason he is in trouble is because of the context in which he said what he said. Had he been having lunch with Evra and Evra said something crazy and Suarez smiled and said "blacky you are an idiot" I am sure Evra wouldnt be upset...I wouldnt be. But he is in a football match and used it against his enemy....on the field, so how can this be looked at in another way? His Uruguayan teammates are idiots for trying to say its something they say back in theyre country. Im sure even in his own country if he calls his opponent blacky or whatever the other guy would have a problem with it. Its fine that its used so openly in Uruguay but not in this situation.
hans when you can spell please come back and make an intelligent comment not a brain dead spotty teenager one.
Typical thick footballers coming to the defence of a racists,i assume there all at it if there backing him,and for LIVERPOOL to come out and say they support a racist is a disgrace.i wonder what John Barnes would say,
who cares what they do in his country? When you live in a place you have to respect theyre culture and customs. Im not a fan of Evra but he is right to be upset. If he wants to call blacks whatever he called Evra and think he is playing around he should go back to Uruguay and no one will complain. He is a cheating little rat who deserves even more than what he got. The only way I will think its unfair is if Terry escapes his racist charge.
I see the usual crew of Liverpool-supporting racists have turned-up again!
As for this article, you wouldn't expect the Uruguayans to do anything different - after-all they are the dirtiest players on the planet!
Did Suarez say that word to Glen Johnson before? Did Glen Johnson accept it and thought it is ok to say that word in England? Did he think that word is a friendly word, like what the other Uruguayans say? Glen Johnson, an English national team player, should know what that word means in England.
Kirk. Cooment 9. Good Afternoon.
It's ok your mates call you that, but what if I did?
And what if I did with a sneer in my voice which implies I think that you're lesser than me because of your colour?
I wouldn't do that, but a racist would. Are you saying that it's ok for a racist to call you whatever they like, or just your mates?
I have to say that the people who are blaming the victim here don't do the same when it comes to the historical events in their clubs' history.
would the scumbag evra made the same accusations if utd won the game.I THINK NOT!!
Evra is a scum and FA could't against Fergusun,because FA is a Fergusun's Assistance
I am a black man from Jamaica and I find this decision farcical. In my country we call some of our friends 'blacka'. Most of my friends are black but some are darker that others and may say " Chill out blacka ". In the U K this could be misunderstood as racist saying but they are wrong. It is a friendly saying. Suarez is no racist and the Fa is a joke and I say this as a black man.
scum like Evra should grow up and take anything which is said to him by anyone (if they do so) and not to be so childish about it.
@Mark, you sound like such a wally! Does it make a difference if you are a PE teacher? You just sound like a typical Man Utd fan. Why not try to be objective? Oh sorry i should of knows its because you are a Utd fan! What are your views on John Terry? No infact i can guess, dont bother answering as i'm sure it would involve bibs, rounders bats and an exam... as you are a PE teacher!
Yes, evra is SCUM, he is playing for SCUM utd. after all
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