? Police will not act unless Patrice Evra makes a complaint
? The Professional Footballers' Association backs FA stance
Luis Su�rez plans to appeal against an eight?game ban from the Football Association for racially insulting Manchester United's Patrice Evra, the Liverpool striker's lawyer indicated.
Alejandro Balbi said the player is "very affected" by the punishment but "calm because of the massive support of the club, the coach, his team?mates and his captain". Balbi added: "The counts of racism that were made against him are not true. He will protest his innocence right to the end."
Su�rez received an eight-match ban plus a �40,000 fine from the FA on Tuesday, having been found guilty by an independent regulatory commission of racially abusing Evra at Anfield on 15 October. But Su�rez is unlikely to follow John Terry in facing a criminal investigation relating to alleged racist abuse unless Evra lodges a complaint against the Liverpool striker with Merseyside police.
The Uruguay international played in Liverpool's goalless draw at Wigan Athletic on Wednesday night, when his team-mates wore T-shirts in support of the striker and the manager, Kenny Dalglish, reiterated his staunch support for the �22.8m signing from Ajax. Dalglish said: "I have no complaints whatsoever with any of the players. It helps when you write the truth. That might be helpful. We stand right beside him. Always have done and always will do, and that was reflected in the support he got from the stands tonight and the players beforehand."
Liverpool players issued a statement on the club's website before warming up at the DW Stadium in T-shirts with Su�rez's image on the front and his name and No7 on the back. Dalglish wore the same T?shirt in a pre-match television interview. The statement read: "Luis Su�rez is our team?mate and our friend and as a group of players we are shocked and angered that he has been found guilty by the FA. We know he is not racist. We are a squad of many different nationalities and backgrounds. All of us support the club's commitment to fighting racism. All of us accept there is no place in the game for any form of discrimination. As a group of players we totally support the Kick it Out Campaign. We have lived, trained and played with Luis for almost 12 months and we don't recognise the way he has been portrayed. We will continue to support Luis through this difficult period, and as a popular and respected friend of all his team-mates, he will not walk alone."
The FA is yet to respond to Liverpool's allegation that it had pre-judged Su�rez before commencing the disciplinary hearing or the club's call for Evra to be charged with abusing their striker. Manchester United are also maintaining a silence on Liverpool's criticism of their defender.
Unlike Terry, who will appear in court in February charged with a racially aggravated public order offence, which he firmly denies, Su�rez is not facing a criminal case and Merseyside police are unlikely to consider any complaints from the public as credible.
They could open an investigation, however, if Evra alone makes a complaint. That seems unlikely, with the incident having occurred more than 10 weeks ago. The France international said: "I don't think that Luis Su�rez is racist" in a written statement to the disciplinary hearing, and Sir Alex Ferguson had been anxious to avoid the controversy developing into a dispute between the two clubs. But Evra, whose credibility was questioned in Liverpool's extraordinary statement, which made reference to his altercation with a Chelsea groundsman in 2008, may choose to take the matter further and can still do so despite the time that has elapsed.
Liverpool have 14 days in which to appeal against the extent of the FA's punishment once they receive the commission's findings in writing. Given their vigorous defence of the Uruguay international, who is also awaiting the outcome of an improper conduct charge for allegedly making an offensive gesture towards Fulham supporters at Craven Cottage on 5 December, an appeal from Liverpool appears inevitable but would carry the risk of Su�rez's eight?game ban being increased should it fail. There are suggestions Liverpool could take their fight to clear Su�rez's name to the court of arbitration for sport should they fail to overturn the ban domestically.
Su�rez could serve his eight-match suspension in the space of one month, given Liverpool's fixture schedule but the club are in no mood to accept the FA's penalty. Dalglish's team travel to Manchester City in the Premier League on 3 January and again in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg eight days later. Delaying a decision on an appeal would improve the striker's prospects of being available for both City games but could affect his chances of featuring at Wembley in the February final should Liverpool progress.
Roberto Mart�nez, Wigan Athletic's Spanish manager, admitted it can be a culture shock for foreign players arriving in English football. Liverpool had used the defence that "negro" ? the word Su�rez admitted using towards Evra ? did not necessarily have racist connotations in Uruguay.
Mart�nez said: "It is difficult for me to comment on that incident but it certainly is a culture shock. Sometimes you do something wrong when you don't know you have. Maybe you don't think you are doing wrong. The problem is where and when to draw the line. You are playing in England under English rules. When I came over as a player I saw many things I thought were offensive but they were treated as a joke."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/21/luis-suarez-criminal-investigation-abuse
Nuclear waste Human rights Sir Alex Ferguson Ukraine Sepp Blatter David Beckham
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento