Premier League - Uruguayan Government backs Suarez
The Uruguayan Government and Liverpool striker Luis Suarez's Uruguay team-mates and coaching staff have leapt to the player's defence over his eight-match suspension in England for an alleged racist remark against Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
The FA suspended Suarez for eight matches and fined him £40,000 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.
"This leaves us with a disagreeable feeling," Uruguay's National Sports Director Ernesto Irureta told the Montevideo newspaper Ultimas Noticias.
"A sanction like this is absurd, out of place and absolutely exaggerated. What's more, there's the story that the other sportsman (Evra) might have called Luis a 'sudaca'," he added, referring to an insulting Spanish term for South Americans.
"What's happening in Europe is a product of their problems and not a product of what happens among players and one of them concerns racism... We have a country with differences but a long way from those circumstances that occur in the Old Continent."
National team coach Oscar Tabarez's assistant Celso Otero said: "It's a shame he should have been sanctioned this way for something that should have remained on the pitch."
Otero added, though, that Suarez should reflect and learn from this experience as a leading figure in world football.
"This must make him be much more careful as to what he says... I don't doubt his quality as a human being... [but] sometimes there are attempts to do justice by example with matters that are symbolic given the standing of the person punished."
Uruguayan Football Association president Sebastian Bauza said the AUF was in touch with the FA and Liverpool through the Uruguayan embassy in England to give Suarez whatever backing he needed in his appeal against the sanction.
Players including Uruguay captain Diego Lugano 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," 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.
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."
Comment 221 - 240 of 240
What has happened to Suarez is a national disgrace brought about by committees that have not a brain between them!!
Suarez,a Uraguayan, is accused of calling Evra a Negro, which he is! being a person of @#$% extraction. Do these stupid,stupid people consider that once a player reaches a salary of £100,000+ per week he stops being a Negro?
If Evra is not a Negro, then how would this brainless committee classify him??
dont worry my Liverpool friends,ManU have started paying what they bought on credit - 2 straight defeats for the time being and many more to come surely
does this now mean we cant say that Newcastle United play in black and white? Will refs and lines people have to stop wearing black? I wholly support any measures to eradicate racist or any other behaviour that discriminates against any one or anything, but please, this whole Suarez Evra spat has been blown out of all proportion. If Surez is being punished for his remarks, then why is Evra not being punished for his remarks?Or is it ok to be rude about some ones nationality but not colour?
does this now mean we cant say that Newcastle United play in black and white?
Suarez was sued by Evra and properly convicted by FA. Being insolent is not what soccer players are paid for. We want common decency in and outside the pitch.
This government lacks what to do. You bring up your children badly and they will pay for it. The world is a lot different now. Wake up.
DAVID- He said " Porque Negro" which translates as " why black man"....this after he patted Evra on the head and EVRA said " don't touch me you South American".........which is more of a racial slur...personally I'd say Evra's comment but hey when do you hear of black people being found guilty of racism??? FACT IS NOT ALOT.
What did Luis called evra ? Anybody know
DAVID- At a magistrates court Terry wouldn't get alot, but bear in mind he'd still be eligible for punishment from the F.A as they're not a criminal court so he could be charged again....thing is they're English and so is Terry...and the European Championships are coming up, so like the Rooney appeal (if they condone violence from and England poster boy then they'll condone racism for an England poster boy) they'll show double standards without doubt. They'd have to give him at least the same punishment as Suarez or risk a racism charge themselves but I'm 99% certain he'll be in the England shirt come June...maybe as captain aswell.....which essentially means the F.As stance would be " we don't condone racism......especially if you're not that good a player or South American"
I read into to-days papers that if John Terry were to be found guilty of the charge against him, he would face a maximum punishment of a £2,500 fine. If this is true, how can Luis Suarez receive an 8 match ban and a £40,000 fine from the FA? The FA are a laughing stock, they have no credibility and its such a shame that they are ruining our national game. Instead of promoting it, their double standards constantly fetch it into disrepute and its time we had a change.
You are all talking about nationalities. I believe when you are mad at someone you call them the most obvious characteristic; a fat person is fatty, a person in glasses is four eyes and a blonde is a bimbo. It is what it is. White people are now going to file for reverse racism? If I was white I would in England. Lets clog up the courts so reall criminals can be free.
The FA would have a real hard time with their 'fiddled' league. It becomes more obvious every year. And what about the refs, they are just as bad. Down with the FA and lets get some real people involved. First, lets remove the Man Ushited director from the FA panel, I believe that is a conflict of interest.
The English FA needs to be investigated. EVERYONE knows how they work. They are a pathetic organization who have made the game a laughing matter. I am cutting my subscription to watch anyting they profit from and will never purchase anything related to them.
If the British government (who such too) want to gain any respect they should regulate those. After all, who funds the FA? Truly the fans should do something about this. This is very, very, embarassing for English people - Nice Job FA that's a big shame on you. Hear the message, you are not special and you do a very bad job. You should all be sacked!
it is disgusting how the racism card is being abused in the UK. The British FA have branded a foreign player a racist on no evidence at all. A player that works and plays in a multi national team who does more good then then the entire FA put together. and a player that is forced to endure filthy, dirty, insulting chants from the public in a public place which is broadcast on worldwide TV every weekend and the FA have done nothing to stop it. The next time a football player has to endure this at Old Trafford or Stamford bridge the team should walk off the pitch and insist that every chanting fan is prosecuted or the club shut down maybe then the FA wont hide behind hypocrisy. Racism has no place anywhere and that includes the FA .
I am sorry that football has been dragged down by this dispute. I cannot believe that Suarez given his background is a racist and I am sure that whatever was said was misinterpreted or misunderstood by Evra. However as the game spans the world there will inevitably be issues such as this arising because of language and cultural differences. I think the FA went totally over the top and were waiting for a player to scapegoat and Suarez being foreign was fair game, I am sure onder if these remarks had been made by an English player no any action would have been taken. They have certainly backed themselves into a corner and the outcome of the John Terry court case will compound their difficulties. The FA over many years have proved to be inept and I am not surprised that they are frequently referred to as having double standards. The chants at last nights game by Wigan supporters have been inflamed by the FA's action. I am also totally disappointed by the tribal attitude of many supporters, for me it is ruining the beautiful game.
Well, if this is going to get political will David Cameron be getting involved, he does know what Association Football is doesn't he, coming from Eton, and I certainly hope he knows where Uruguay is, he needs to stay on their good side especially with the Argies starting to get bolshy again over The Falklands.
Uruguay are a bunch of cheats - we saw that at the world cup. The fact that they come out to defend the biggest cheat among them is no surprise.
Liverpool FC have put themselves in the camp of Sepp Blatter over this issue. Looks like Chelsea may do the same thing. In which case the FA should begin to punish the clubs for complicity.
Majority of you people on here are hypocrites with some of the racist @#$% you guys come up with.
and
The Original Delusional Dippers laughing at your own comments is a tad sad and pathetic. Get those braincells working for a change and say something that doesn't involve you laughing at your own drivel, you pathetic little man.
Uruguay, a country long known to support anti-racism and fair play and sportsmanship ...... PMSL!!! PMSL!!! PMSL!!!!
Siyazi you write a very longwinded piece.But one big fact you leave out is the black player,who has the morals of a rat,also insulted Suarez.When the report comes out we shall know who did what first,but i can honestly say if i was dying of thirst id rather Suarez come along that Evra (the French cheat) Because im certain Luis would give you some water,The other ignoramus would not give you the steam of his P...
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