Sandra Diaz, Luis Suarez’s mother, claims to know the 24-year-old better than anyone in the world. The Montevideo inhabitant spoke to the press on Wednesday as she came in defense of her accused son, saying:
“I laugh when they call my son racist. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm afraid now when he comes up against a black person, especially because they're going to go looking for him.
“I know my son. I know he has to calm down a bit with things like the salute he made to rival fans. But he's no racist.”
Others believe that this race row, marked by the alleged use of the word “negro” or “negrito”, is the result of cultural misunderstanding.
“I am very upset by the things said about me, all very far from the truth. In my country, 'negro' is a word which doesn't show any lack of respect and is even less so a form of racist abuse,” Luis Suarez reportedly told the press as the issue circulated rapidly in the media.
“I'll carry out the suspension with the resignation of someone who has done nothing wrong.”
The accused player claims to have done nothing wrong, but the FA’s 115-page report reveals otherwise. According to the linguistic experts used by the FA, Suarez said “porque tu eres negro” in Spanish, which means “because you are black”, when Patrice Evra asked him why he had been fouled.
In reply, the Manchester United defender allegedly threatened to punch Suarez if he reiterated the statement. The Uruguayan eventually responded by saying “no hablo con los negros”, which means “I don’t speak to blacks”.
Despite this report, Liverpool believe that there’s lack of evidence. “We know what is not in the report and that is important for us. But without me getting myself in trouble, that is me finished,” Kenny Dalglish told the press as he refuted the reliability of the FA’s document.
The Merseyside Reds have been slammed for defending Luis Suarez who is, according to many, clearly racist. However, the club is striving to remind the public not to confuse the fight against racism with the fight against general injustice. The club was quoted as saying:
“In its determination to prove its conclusions, the FA panel has damaged the reputation of one of the Premier League's best players. Continuing a fight for justice would obscure the fact the club supports all efforts to end racism in English football.”
Victim Evra initially complained for being called “negro” at least 10 times by Luis Suarez during the game before reducing the number to 5. The credibility of the French defender’s allegation eventually gave Liverpool more reasons to defend the accused Luis Suarez. The FA, however, explained why it shouldn’t be so. Their report read:
“Mr. Evra was a credible witness. He gave his evidence in a calm, composed and clear way. It was, for the most part, consistent, although both he and Mr. Suarez were understandably unable to remember every detail of the exchanges between them.
“Mr. Suarez's evidence was unreliable in relation to matters of critical importance. It was, in part, inconsistent with the contemporaneous evidence, especially the video footage.
“For example, Mr. Suarez said that he pinched Mr. Evra's skin in an attempt to defuse the situation. He also said that his use of the word 'negro' to address Mr. Evra was conciliatory and friendly. We rejected that evidence.
“To describe his own behaviour in that way was unsustainable and simply incredible given that the players were engaged in an acrimonious argument.
“That this was put forward by Mr. Suarez was surprising and seriously undermined the reliability of his evidence on other matters. There were also inconsistencies between his accounts given at different times as to what happened.”
This matter can perhaps be considered as closed now. On Monday night, Liverpool all the same accepted the ban which could see Luis Suarez sidelined until February 6. The player also apologized on Wednesday night without taking the blame and without directly saying sorry to Patrice Evra.
“I admitted to the commission I used a word in Spanish once, and only once, and told the panel members I will not use it again on a football pitch in England.
“I never, ever used this word in a derogatory way and if it offends anyone then I want to apologise for that.”
Between the bonds of cultural understanding, the existence of racism and the behavior of professionals, this apology may sound perfect to some and irritating to others.
How does it sound to you?
