Liverpool abandon Suárez eight match ban appeal

By David Gold

January 4 – Liverpool have decided not to appeal the eight match ban handed out to Luis Suárez for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, but the Uruguayan could now be set to make his comeback at Old Trafford of all places.

Unless Liverpool need a replay to get past Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup third round, Suárez is due to get a hot reception against United if he returns against them on February 11.

He will definitely miss the Carling Cup semi final matches with Manchester City, but if they do need a replay to get past Oldham Athletic, he could be back for the crucial home game with Tottenham Hotspur in the battle for a Champions League place.

Suárez missed last night’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City as Liverpool decided shortly before kickoff not to submit an appeal, having received the English Football Association’s 115 page report into its decision to issue the eight game ban late on Saturday night.

In the report, it is alleged that Suárez said the word “negro” to Evra seven times in two minutes.

The team’s decision was based on their conviction that the issue at hand was more important than the individual ban handed to their star forward, and in a statement indicated that they felt their reputation was at risk if they contested the charge.

“There are ultimately larger issues than whether or not Luis Suárez has been treated fairly by the FA in this matter,” said Liverpool.

“The issue of race in sports, as in other industries, has a very poor history.

“Far too often, and in far too many countries, the issues of racism and discrimination have been covered over or ignored.

“In America, where Liverpool ownership resides, there was a shameful bigotry that prevented black athletes from competing at the highest levels for decades.

“English football has led the world in welcoming all nationalities and creeds…and Liverpool Football Club itself has been a leader in taking a progressive stance on issues of race and inclusion.”

Liverpool continue to defend their player though, and seemed to take aim at Manchester United, accusing them and the FA of stitching up Suárez.

“This case has provided a template in which a club’s rival can bring about a significant ban for a top player without anything beyond an accusation,” said a Liverpool statement.

“It is our strongly held conviction that the Football Association and the panel it selected constructed a highly subjective case against Luis Suárez based on an accusation that was ultimately unsubstantiated.

“The FA and the panel chose to consistently and methodically accept and embrace arguments leading to a set of conclusions that found Mr Suárez to ‘probably’ be guilty, while in the same manner deciding to completely dismiss the testimony that countered their overall suppositions.”

Suárez continued to protest his innocence, saying yesterday that “in my country, ‘negro’ is a word we use commonly, a word which doesn’t show any lack of respect and is even less so a form of racist abuse”.

“Based on this, everything which has been said so far is totally false,” he continued.

“I will carry out the suspension with the resignation of someone who hasn’t done anything wrong and who feels extremely upset by the events.”

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish (pictured right) also hinted that darker forces were at work when he said yesterday that “it is unfortunate that you don’t actually know the whole content of what went on at the hearing”.

“I cannot go any further,” he added.

“Luis has made a brilliant statement and we stand by him.

“There are a lot of things we’d like to say and a lot of things we could say but we don’t want to get ourselves into trouble.

“We know what has gone on.

“We know what is not in the report and that is important for us.”

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