Wednesday 12 June 2013

LIVERPOOL STRIKER LUIS SUAREZ: FA BULLIES HAVE DRIVEN ME OUT


ABOVE: Suarez is serving a ten-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic
“
Without any proof they gave me an eight-match ban, but with Terry, where they had proof and lip-readers, they gave him four
”
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez
12th June 2013

By Paul Brown

LUIS SUAREZ has re-opened the war of words over his race row with Patrice Evra by accusing the FA of discriminating against foreigners.

The Liverpool striker was in fighting form in his latest interview, with a TV station from his native Uruguay.
Suarez was banned for eight matches after being found guilty by an independent FA commission of racially abusing Manchester United defender Evra.
But he was astounded John Terry was then suspended for only four games for a similar race row with QPR star Anton Ferdinand.
Then Suarez went on to cop a 10-match ban from the authorities for his extraordinary bite on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic’s arm.
But the 26-year-old has not forgotten how he was treated – and turned the tables on his accusers last night by claiming he is being victimised because he is South American.
Suarez said: “I’m South American and I think that’s the root of all of this.
“Without any proof they gave me an eight-match ban, but with Terry, where they had proof and lip-readers, they gave him four.”
Terry was hit with a four-match ban by another independent FA panel despite being earlier acquitted in a criminal court.
Lip-reading evidence was submitted in his case, but it was found to be inconclusive, and as no-one heard what he said at the time he was only found guilty “on the balance of probability.”
But while Terry was only accused of using one racially offensive phrase, Evra claimed he was repeatedly abused by Suarez, and this was taken into account when he was handed a longer ban.
None of that washes with the Reds striker, who appears keen to do all he can to get a move to Real Madrid.
The Uruguayan repeated his claims that he is being hounded out but he also insisted both he and his family have suffered public humiliation as a result of his controversial past.
He told Uruguayan TV show RR-Gol: “About a week ago I was in a shopping centre near Manchester and three or four guys asked for a photo. While we were posing for it my wife said to me, ‘Luis, get out of the photo!’ She noticed they were making biting gestures.
“I was with my wife and my daughter. Things like that get on your nerves. My wife was on the brink of tears and the blokes ran off laughing. You get tired of stuff like that.
“As soon as I arrived in England I didn’t like the press. They have never judged me on how I play football, they judged me on my attitude.
“They said I dived, moaned, postured, they said I was racist, everything. They have never spoken well of me.
“That’s why, when people said I could have been chosen as the best player in the Premier League, I said, ‘I won’t get excited. I know that in England I’m never going to be given an important prize’.”
Gareth Bale was voted the PFA and Footballer Writers’ Player of the Year last season.
Suarez received just two votes in the FWA poll and his name was booed at the PFA awards.
The Uruguayan has burned so many bridges that it is hard to see him returning to Liverpool, who continue to insist he is not for sale. But his exit strategy is a high-risk one.
He is not Real’s top target – they want to land Bale most of all – although they are now thought to be upping their interest in him.
That has not stopped Suarez upping the ante. With Uruguay facing Spain in their Confederations Cup opener on Sunday, he will get plenty of opportunities to continue the courtship.
Suarez said last night: “Obviously Real Madrid is a great team. Every player dreams about them. It’s as high as you can go as a player and they will always tempt you.
“Any player would like to play for a great team and Real Madrid certainly are that.”
Asked again where he sees himself going, Suarez said: “My agent said to remain calm rather than quiet, and when there is concrete interest I’ll be the first to know.”

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