Luis Suarez Ban: 5 Things Liverpool Did Wrong

The Luis Suarez situation keeps lingering. Like most things that linger too long, it's starting to stink.

More than two weeks ago, the Football Association found Liverpool's start striker Suarez guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra, banning him for eight games to go along with a £40,000 fine.

That should have been the end of it, but it wasn't.

First there was the T-shirt incident. Today, there's news that Liverpool won't appeal the ban but will—at the same time, and with a straight face—refuse to admit any wrongdoing by Suarez.

Except that's not entirely the case, either.

In a prepared statement released to fans and the press, Suarez admitted calling Evra "negro" during an October matchup of the two EPL giants. That would seem to be an admission of guilt, but, sensationally, Liverpool are claiming the world does not know the full story of the FA inquiry.

In short, this is what Liverpool and Suarez are saying: that Suarez did in fact call Evra "negro" on the pitch; that, nonetheless, Suarez did nothing wrong; that, regardless of that fact, they won't appeal his ban; and that they, unlike everyone else, know what really went on behind closed doors.

In a situation like this, in which one group is so clearly wrong, it's almost impossible to argue or reason with the group—Liverpool, Suarez and their fans have made up their minds. Suarez, in their minds, is not only innocent, but also a victim of a spiteful and biased FA.

To the rest of us, Liverpool and Suarez have said and done several things wrong. Here are five of them.

The T-Shirts

Before their match against Wigan on December 21, Liverpool's players warmed up wearing T-shirts that depicted Luis Suarez making a celebratory gesture.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said the shirts served as a symbol of the club's support for Suarez.

"We stand right beside him," said Dalglish. "Always have done and always will do, and that was reflected in the support he got from the stands tonight and the players beforehand."

The T-shirt gesture was wrong for a number of reasons.

First, as critics pointed out, the shirts countered the anti-racism message that has been embraced by nearly all of professional football.

By wearing an explicitly pro-Suarez shirt—as opposed to a neutral anti-racism shirt—while the investigation was still running, Liverpool's players compromised their ability to stand, unquestioned, against future racism.

Instead of coming off as sympathetic in the court of public opinion, Liverpool came off defiant.

Second, there are better ways to support a teammate. A simple statement of support during a post-match interview would have worked quite well enough. Imagine if Dalglish had made his statement only up to the point where he said "always have done and always will do."

Without the complication of the T-shirts, that would have been a simple, powerful and appropriate statement of support. Instead, it came off as self-serving, arrogant and defiant.

So did the T-shirts.

Claiming Hidden Knowledge

Apparently Liverpool fancy themselves the Gnostics of English football. Liverpool, and only Liverpool, possess the hidden knowledge about what actually went on during the FA's inquiry into the Suarez-Evra affair.

Said Dalglish:

"

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. But without me getting myself in trouble, that is me finished.

It is unfortunate that you don't actually know the whole content of what went on at the hearing. I am not prepared and I cannot say. I cannot go any further.

I don't think we are digging a bigger hole - it is unfortunate we cannot be more forthcoming.

"

Well, out with it, then. Tell us, please.

Until then, Dalglish's and Liverpool's claims raise two important questions.

First, if they do in fact have special insight, why is that information not in the report? That extra information, theoretically at least, could have helped Suarez. If it does exist, Liverpool should come forward with it. More importantly, they should have highlighted it during the initial investigation.

Second, if the report is inaccurate, why isn't Suarez appealing his ban?

Suarez's Statement

Suarez issued a statement Tuesday. It served mostly as a self-pity party and also managed to not apologize to Patrice Evra.

First things first: Suarez thanks his family and friends, as well as Liverpool's staff and fans. Then he tries to win your sympathy:

"

Like many of you I was born into a very humble family, in a working class neighbourhood, in a small country. But I was born and raised learning what respect, manners and sacrifice mean.

"

That's nice. John Mellencamp was also born in a small town. What does any of that have to do with using racial slurs against Patrice Evra on the pitch?

Suarez attempts to answer that next.

"

Thanks to my family, from my first club where I started playing, to my transfer to Holland in Europe, I learned the values which made me the person I am now. Never, I repeat, never, have I had any racial problem with a team mate or individual who was of a different race or colour to mine. Never.

"

Never? How about Patrice Evra? Oh, he means never before December 20.

Anyway, after that, Suarez gets back to trying to win your sympathy. The world is against him, you see, and he's just little ol' Luis.

"

I am very upset by all the things which have been said during the last few weeks about me, all of them being very far from the truth. But above all, I'm very upset at feeling so powerless whilst being accused of something which I did not, nor would not, ever do.

"

But, as it turns out, he does indeed have power over his own words. How do I know? Because, with his next words, he admits to calling Patrice Evra "negro."

"

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.

"

So, Suarez admits he said "negro," but claims it’s no big deal in South America.

Maybe not, but it is a big deal everywhere else. Especially on a football pitch in England. Furthermore, by using that word he reduced his opponent—and remember, good sportsmanship requires players to respect all opponents—to the color of his skin. That's not how you respect an opponent, even in South America.

As the investigating commission wrote:

"

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.

"

And, what's more:

"

[T]he regulatory commission brought in language specialists, who determined that [Suarez's] remarks, given the heated situation between himself and Evra, would be understood as offensive in racial terms in Uruguay and Spanish-speaking America.

"

Suarez is wrong. But that doesn't stop him from trying to garner more sympathy.

"

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. I do feel sorry for the fans and for my team mates whom I will not be able to help during the next month. It will be a very difficult time for me.

"

Yes, yes, it will be very difficult for Suarez, the fans and Liverpool teammates. What about Evra? No apology to him? At all? Not even the whole "I'm sorry if my words caused any distress to Mr. Evra" semi-apology?

No, of course not. Again, Luis Suarez is the real victim here. All he wants to do is play football.

"

The only thing I wish for at the moment is being able to run out again at Anfield and to do what I like most which is playing football.

"

Geez. You'd think Suarez was the one who'd been racially abused on the football pitch.

Kenny Dalglish, by the way, said this statement was "brilliant."

Persecution Complex

To defend Suarez, Liverpool resorted to claiming a conspiracy on the part of the FA.

"

It appears to us that the FA were determined to bring charges against Luis Suarez, 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 Suarez is innocent of the charges brought against him and we will provide Luis with whatever support he now needs to clear his name.

"

Really? The FA were out to get Suarez? I'm skeptical.

But that's not all. The Reds even went after Evra.

"

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 Suarez in Spanish in the most objectionable of terms. Luis, to his credit, actually told the FA he had not heard the insult.

"

The squad is intent on blaming everyone except Suarez.

Non-Guilt by Association

Here in America, it's common for someone who's been accused of racism to claim a number of black friends. The line of defense goes something like this: "I'm not a racist. I have several black friends."

Liverpool and Suarez took it a step further.

"

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 multi-cultural 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 Suarez has been characterised.

"

In other words, Luis Suarez has a black grandfather and therefore could not have said anything of a racist nature.

How, then, are we to reconcile that with his use of the word "negro" towards Evra on a football pitch?

And what are we to make of the following words, which Suarez allegedly said?

"

One of the key passages of the report centres on what was said between the two players during the flashpoint.

It reads: "Our findings of fact which are directly relevant to the Charge are as follows: (1) In response to Mr Evra's question 'F*****g hell, why did you kick me,' Mr Suarez said 'Because you are black'.

"(2) In response to Mr Evra's comment 'Say it to me again, I'm going to punch you,' Mr Suarez said 'I don't speak to blacks'.

"(3) In response to Mr Evra's comment: 'Okay, now I think I'm going to punch you,' Mr Suarez said 'Okay, blackie, blackie, blackie'."

"

It's time for Suarez and Liverpool to apologize. Not to each other and their fans, but to Patrice Evra.