The Liverpool striker Luis Suárez has been banned for eight matches and fined £40,000 after being found guilty of misconduct, regarding “using insulting words towards” Patrice Evra of Manchester United.

The allegations centred around an incident during a Premier League fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on 15 October, during which Evra claimed Suárez racially abused him “at least 10 times”.

Both players gave evidence to a three-man panel, led by Paul Goulding QC, as did the Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, who has vigorously defended the Uruguay player since the allegation was made by Evra to the French television station Canal Plus after the game. Liverpool’s defence involved arguing that the word “negro” does not necessarily have racist connotations in Uruguay. Evra said that was unacceptable and that Suárez was being offensive as the pair clashed repeatedly in the second half at Anfield.

A Football Association statement said: “An independent regulatory commission has today found a charge of misconduct against Luis Suárez proven, and have issued a suspension for a period of eight matches as well as fining him £40,000, pending appeal.

“On 16 November 2011, the Football Association charged Luis Suárez with misconduct contrary to FA Rule E3 in relation to the Liverpool FC versus Manchester United FC fixture on 15 October 2011.

“A hearing took place from 14-20 December 2011 before an independent regulatory commission of the FA to consider the charge.

“The independent regulatory commission announced its decision on 20 December 2011, which is as follows:

“Mr Suárez used insulting words towards Mr Evra during the match contrary to FA Rule E3(1);

“the insulting words used by Mr Suárez included a reference to Mr Evra’s colour within the meaning of Rule E3(2);

“Mr Suárez shall be warned as to his future conduct, be suspended for eight matches covering all first-team competitive matches and fined the sum of £40,000;

“the [penalty] is suspended pending the outcome of any appeal lodged by Mr Suárez against this decision.

“The independent regulatory commission will provide written reasons for its decision in due course setting out:

(a) the findings of fact made by it;

(b) the reasons for its decision finding the charge proved; and

(c) the reasons for the penalty.

“Mr Suárez has the right to appeal the decision of the independent regulatory commission to an appeal board. An appeal must be lodged within 14 days of the date of the written reasons for the decision.

“The penalty is suspended until after the outcome of any appeal, or the time for appealing expires, or should Mr Suárez decide not to appeal. The reason for this is to ensure that the penalty does not take effect before any appeal so that Mr Suárez has an effective right of appeal.

Liverpool released a statement of their own, saying: “Liverpool Football Club is very surprised and disappointed with the decision of the Football Association commission to find Luis Suárez guilty of the charges against him.

“We look forward to the publication of the commission’s judgment. We will study the detailed reasons of the commission once they become available, but reserve our right to appeal or take any other course of action we feel appropriate with regards to this situation.

“We find it extraordinary that Luis can be found guilty on the word of Patrice Evra alone when no one else on the field of play – including Evra’s own Manchester United team-mates and all the match officials – heard the alleged conversation between the two players in a crowded Kop goalmouth while a corner-kick was about to be taken.

“The club takes extremely seriously the fight against all forms of discrimination and has a long and successful track record in work relating to anti-racist activity and social inclusion. We remain committed to this ideal and equality for all, irrespective of a person’s background.

“LFC considers racism in any form to be unacceptable – without compromise. It is our strong held belief, having gone over the facts of the case, that Luis Suárez did not commit any racist act. It is also our opinion that the accusation by this particular player was not credible – certainly no more credible than his prior unfounded accusations.

“It is key to note that Patrice Evra himself in his written statement in this case said: ‘I don’t think that Luis Suárez is racist’. The FA in their opening remarks accepted that Luis Suárez was not racist.

“Luis himself is of a mixed race family background as his grandfather was black. He has been personally involved since the 2010 World Cup in a charitable project which uses sport to encourage solidarity amongst people of different backgrounds with the central theme that the colour of a person’s skin does not matter; they can all play together as a team.

“He has played with black players and mixed with their families whilst with the Uruguay national side and was captain at Ajax Amsterdam of a team with a proud multicultural profile, many of whom became good friends.

“It seems incredible to us that a player of mixed heritage should be accused and found guilty in the way he has based on the evidence presented. We do not recognise the way in which Luis Suárez has been characterised.

“It appears to us that the FA were determined to bring charges against Luis Suárez, even before interviewing him at the beginning of November. Nothing we have heard in the course of the hearing has changed our view that Luis Suárez is innocent of the charges brought against him and we will provide Luis with whatever support he now needs to clear his name.

“We would also like to know when the FA intend to charge Patrice Evra with making abusive remarks to an opponent after he admitted himself in his evidence to insulting Luis Suárez in Spanish in the most objectionable of terms. Luis, to his credit, actually told the FA he had not heard the insult.”

(The Guardian )

• Gregg Roughley
• guardian.co.uk,Sunday 1 January 2012 13.54 GMT
• Article history

Liverpool have been criticised for wearing T-shirts supporting Luis Suárez before the FA commission published its judgment. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images

Piara Powar, the executive director of Football Against Racism in Europe, has urged Liverpool and Luis Suárez not to appeal against the eight-match ban and £40,000 fine imposed by the Football Association for making racist comments about Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.

 

Powar, a former director of the anti-racism organisation Kick It Out, said in a statement: “The Football Association’s published judgment from the Suárez–Evra incident is welcome.

 

“It appears the FA have taken their time to initiate a process that was both fair in its implementation of football rules, and in accordance with the principles of British justice. As an international non-governmental organisation we [Fare] think the investigation and judgment sets the bar for governing bodies globally.”

 

Powar’s response comes after the FA independent commission that found Suárez guilty published a 115-page document detailing its findings in the case relating to the incident between the two players that took place during the match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield on 15 October.

 

“Racial abuse between players on the field of play has been an unspoken taboo for too long, an area that has been unsatisfactorily dealt with by English football despite many cases over the past 10 years,” Powar added.

 

Liverpool have been criticised for their vehement support of the striker – including wearing T-shirts bearing the player’s name before the Premier League match at Wigan on 21 December – before the FA commission had published its full judgment. Powar believes the club must now take heed of the judgment, which deemed some of Suárez’s evidence “inconsistent” and “unreliable”, and reconsider their stance on the matter.

 

“Luis Suarez and Liverpool FC have the right to appeal, however we would call on the club to think again about their public campaign to dispute the charges and contest the principles involved in the case. As a club with a good international standing the vehemency of their campaign is unquestionably causing them reputational harm.

• The Guardian,Wednesday 21 December 2011
• Article history

John Terry denies making a racial slur against Anton Ferdinand when Chelsea played QPR in October. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

John Terry will fight “tooth and nail” to clear his name after the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed its intention to prosecute the England captain over an alleged racist slur made towards the Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.

The Chelsea centre-half, who denies any wrongdoing, will appear before West London magistrates’ court on 1 February charged with a racially aggravated public order offence made during an altercation with Ferdinand in the derby with QPR at Loftus Road on 23 October.

The 31-year-old’s club manager, André Villas-Boas, has reiterated that he will benefit from Chelsea’s full support, with Terry set to start Thursday’s Premier League game at Tottenham Hotspur.

“I am disappointed with the decision to charge me and hope to be given the chance to clear my name as quickly as possible,” Terry said. “I have never aimed a racist remark at anyone and count people from all races and creeds among my closest friends. I will fight tooth and nail to prove my innocence. I have campaigned against racism and believe there is no place for it in society.”

Terry was caught on camera confronting Ferdinand six minutes from time in Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat. The Football Association initiated an inquiry into the incident following a complaint from QPR, with the Metropolitan police following suit in response to an emailed complaint from a member of the public.

The CPS has subsequently confirmed that additional evidence, thought to be new video footage of the incident that was not broadcast at the time, had come to light.

Terry was visited by police at his house in Surrey at around 1pm on Wednesday and was told he has been charged with using “threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress which was racially aggravated in accordance with section 28 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998”.

Alison Saunders, the chief crown prosecutor for London, said: “I have today advised the Metropolitan police service that John Terry should be prosecuted for a racially aggravated public order offence following comments allegedly made during a Premier League football match between Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea on 23 October 2011.

“The decision was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and after careful consideration of all the evidence I am satisfied there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute this case. Mr Terry will appear before West London magistrates’ court on 1 February, 2012. He is now summonsed with a criminal offence and has the right to a fair trial.”

Villas-Boas said Terry, who was reappointed as England’s captain earlier this year, will be able to handle the pressure of playing at White Hart Lane. “He has my full support, and the club’s full support,” the Portuguese said. “He represents this club to a maximum level and we’re very grateful to have a player of his quality in our team, in what he represents in terms of history and achievements within the club. We know exactly his human values and his personality. For me they are never in doubt, so I will support him whatever the outcome. He is fit and available [to play].”

If found guilty, Terry would face a maximum fine of £2,500, though there would be serious implications over his captaincy of the national team. The FA, whose own inquiry into the incident has been put on hold until the conclusion of the criminal investigation, has yet to comment on the issue, though Chelsea added in a statement: “The club finds all forms of discrimination abhorrent and we are proud of the work we undertake campaigning on this important issue.”