Luis Suarez Insists No Truth to Patrice Evra Racism Story in Barcelona Interview

Luis Suarez doesn't regret the incident that saw him officially charged with racially abusing Patrice Evra in 2011.

Speaking in a tell-all interview with Ketty Calatayud of Barcelona's official website, the former Liverpool man insisted he was convicted "without evidence" when asked about the misdemeanours of his past:

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When I say I’m sorry it’s because I regret something. Being sorry implies regret. But they have also sometimes judged me on things that aren’t true, such as the racism thing. I was accused without evidence and that’s what grieved me the most. The others were actions when it was me who did wrong. I accepted that and begged forgiveness, but the racism thing, when I was accused without evidence, that did upset me.

"

While Suarez accepts responsibility for three biting incidents—including the bite on Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini that saw him banned for four months—he appears adamant that he was falsely accused of racism during his spell in the Premier League.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Although prompted to discuss whether he regrets anything during the interview, focusing on the Evra incident is somewhat unneeded, as hinted at by Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC:

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Am guessing this Suarez interview with Barca site might drag up a few things that could've been let lie... http://t.co/J8CityiUOw

— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) October 14, 2014"

Suarez's denial of racism is understandable if he genuinely believes he did nothing wrong, but even so, it is uncouth not to show regret that the situation happened at all. This is something that didn't need acknowledging in the press—certainly not during the player's charm offensive at his new club—as it shows Suarez to be bitter over an extremely serious situation that saw him heavily reprimanded.

The Uruguayan is set to make his competitive Barca debut on Oct. 25, which so happens to be the date of El Clasico. Luis Enrique's squad will head into the Bernabeu encounter with the boost of adding a striker who netted 31 times for Liverpool last season, as two of the world's most fearsome front threes face each other.

David Ramos/Getty Images

Suarez has thought about his debut in detail and believes fate has played a part in pitting him against Barcelona's rivals upon his first appearance, noted by Calatayud:

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I imagine what it’ll be like to pull on the shirt, to be with the rest of the team in the dressing room before the match, getting kitted up to play, and as chance would have it, in such a stadium. It’s a huge coincidence but I’m looking forward to the experience. You know, I’m the kind of person who believes that things happen for a reason, and out of all 19 team in the league, it’s precisely against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu that I’ll make my comeback. There must be a reason.

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He will have to watch his team-mates face Eibar and Ajax before this date, the last two club matches Suarez's biting ban forces him to miss. His home debut will likely arrive against Celta Vigo on Nov. 1, as the Camp Nou gears up to finally witness Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar in action together.

Suarez's plan should be to make it until at least Oct. 25 before creating headlines. 

David Ramos/Getty Images

Barcelona's decision to publish the aforementioned section of the interview is also questionable. For the most part, Suarez's chat is a good-natured, run-of-the-mill discussion about what he hopes to achieve. Focusing on controversial moments of years gone by shouldn't be in either his or the Blaugrana's thinking.

Poor judgement on both his and the club's part could lead to potentially negative coverage across the globe. Surely Barca officials knew this would likely cause a stir before publishing. This isn't the first time the side has used ill-judgement to publish an article that could potentially cause a backlash.

Upon Cesc Fabregas' departure to Chelsea, an official statement suggested "the magic tended to fade" as each of the Spaniard's seasons progressed in Catalonia, a quote reported on by Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star.

"For some reason, he was never as good in the second half of a season as in the first," read the release, which was later deleted. This parting shot could be seen as unfair, but the decision to publish Suarez's comments may be all the more serious.

Top clubs must work with players to protect their public image, but in this instance, neither do themselves any favours.