Jamie Carragher Apologises to Patrice Evra for Liverpool's Luis Suarez Shirts

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has apologised to ex-Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra for the T-shirts the Reds wore in support of Luis Suarez after he racially abused Evra in October 2011.

Suarez was later given an eight-game ban by the Football Association after he was found to have used racist language towards Evra during a match between the two sides.

Ahead of their meeting with Wigan Athletic in the Premier League on December 22, two days after the ban was announced, the Liverpool players and manager Kenny Dalglish wore shirts during the warm-up showing support for Suarez.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football with studio guest Evra, Carragher said that on reflection, Liverpool handled the matter poorly:

"There is no doubt that we made a massive mistake. That was obvious. It was an evening game and because it was Wigan, we travelled there on the day of the game. 

"We got there, had our lunch and then we had a team meeting. I just remember in the team meeting, I don't know whether it was the manager or Steve Clarke asking one of the players: 'Are you still wearing the shirts?' That was the first I had heard of it.

"I am not lying on that and saying 'I wasn't a part of it' because as a club, we got it wrong and we were all part of it. I was vice-captain. But that was the first I had heard of it that afternoon. So I am not sure who was actually behind it. I know you mention the manager, but I don't think Kenny had anything to do with it, to be honest, it was the players who Luis was close to in the dressing room who really wanted to support their mate and their friend."

"...Apologies. We got it massively wrong."

Here is more of what Carragher had to say:

When asked what he thought of the shirts, Evra said they were "ridiculous" and "unbelievable." He added: "So what message are you sending out to the world when you do that? Supporting someone who has been banned for using racist words?"

Per Sky Sports, Liverpool responded to the ban with a statement saying "no one else on the field of play" heard the "insulting words" the forward was accused of using towards the Frenchman.

According to the FA report, Evra asked Suarez why he kicked him after a tackle, to which the striker responded "because you are black." Suarez then said "I don't speak to blacks" and used the word "negro" on seven occasions, according to the investigation.

When the two sides next met, Suarez declined to shake Evra's hand ahead of the clash at Old Trafford.

After the discussion, Carragher posted the following on Twitter:

Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror praised the former players for discussing a sensitive issue head on:

Following a spate of incidents across European football in 2019, Evra spoke about tackling racism in the game:

Evra left United in 2014 after a distinguished spell at Old Trafford, winning the UEFA Champions League and five Premier League titles in eight years.