by Gabriel Smith
Last Sunday, non league side Mansfield Town gave Liverpool a good scare by battling all the way to just a single goal defeat. A great proud achievement, knowing there is a 4 ties gap between the two. The hard pill to swallow was Liverpool’s second goal, which came from a very clear hands ball by Louis Suarez. The bandwagon of haters jumped on him instantly like flies who just saw a dog dropping some litter in the bushes. The ball skipped around a bit, and luckily via Suarez his hand he put himself on the scoring sheet. He actually didn’t celebrate after that goal, keeping in mind the referee and/or linesman saw the incident and would rule his challenge out, maybe even with a booking. But the referee ruled that the challenge wasn’t deliberate, the goal stood. Then Suarez did what he always does after scoring a goal: kiss the palm of his hand.
Now the haters were jumping upside down as if they’d saw snow falling down for the first time of the winter season. Suarez was ‘a disgrace’ for kissing the palm of his hand, seemingly suffering from a short-term memory. Also he was again ‘a cheat’, a valid point if you realise he came second in the diving table, just behind Trafford United winger Ashley Young. The roars were big, and the more hateful comments poured into Twitter, Facebook and other social networks, and the more people started to lose their heads. The ‘he is a racist’ jibes were now being echoed and that made me quite angry. I know myself that Suarez isn’t a racist, and I know that all who are close to him – people from all kind of races/skin colours – have been jumping in to defend him.
Let me outline this.
During a game with Trafford United, Suarez was standing directly with Patrice Evra. Evra gave some mouthful towards Suarez, as it happens all the time during games: you want to win so you’re trying to trouble your opposition in every possible way. At one moment Suarez had enough, and stated “just because you’re coloured doesn’t mean you may say all you want”, however as he wasn’t too familiar with the English word he used the South American word ‘negro’ (for coloured). Negro doesn’t even come close to ‘the N-word’ but the media bias and the FA started to do a witch hunt to get Suarez banned. The FA ain’t objective, it’s being known for liking and supporting Trafford United with ‘dubious’ referee decision and so was it with this case: banning Suarez, it would amputate the team, and make Alex Ferguson a Happy Dandy.
Let me put one more example of double standards: Van Persie, almost killed by a ball against Swansea, jumped up and started a fight on the pitch. No card shown by the ref, and no punishment afterwards. But when Samir Nasri of Manchester City got a nasty challenge on him away at Norwich, and did less violence than Van Persie, he got a red card and a received a three-match-ban. Only a blind person would not see this.
To come back to Suarez one more time, he didn’t do himself a favour by feeding the hating mob. After the clash away at Mansfield, a young boy outside of the ground asks Suarez kindly for an autograph, but he ignores the boy in full. This is not making him a racist, but definitely it feeds the oppositions and the hungry press to let him remain being one of the disliked players in the Premier League.
Check out Gabriel’s fantastic blog ‘Football From A Different View’ here http://footballfromadifferentview.blogspot.co.uk/
there is a reason you dont have any comments…
Insightful… How much can you hate someone just because you want to hate him?
Suarez is a great footballer and everyone has his flaws, including Ferguson, Evra, etc… period!
Sorry to go on but in the Evra business that’s not what Suarez said at all. In fact Suarez clearly changed his story after stating something totally different to Kuyt and Comolli. He tried to wind up Evra and used his race to do it. Cameras clearly show Suarez pinching Evra’s skin in a sneering and distainful manner which supported Evra’s version of events and contradicted Suarez’s claims that he did so in a conciliatory manner, which he late admitted wasn’t true. Does that make him Hitler Youth? No. But that’s what he did and that’s why he was punished for. We can’t make up scenarios that make us feel better.
Deebo you have it all wrong. You just listen to the gutter press, Evra himself stated that Suarez was NOT a racist. Evra has also made up stories in the past. Also Suarez was not banned for those games because of racist remarks but misconduct. Have you actually read the FA report in full, I doubt it because you are probably just the type of person who like to jump on a bandwagon. Dis you also know that Suarez’s Grandfather is black and it is widely said that his wife also calls him Negreto? Plonker
I won’t vilify Suarez for his goal. It is not his job to call a hand ball on himself. He was a professional and played through to the whistle, which never came. It was an absolute handball, but it wasn’t even deliberate. As you pointed out, the referees didn’t call it. They are the ones who should be taking a beating in the press over the incident, not Suarez or LFC.
Unfortunately, with a guy like Suarez, he’s made his own villain status by what the fans see of him on the pitch. The Evra racism incident just exacerbated that sentiment. Is he a bad guy, probably not, but even the smallest incidents are blown out of proportion by both supporters and the media simply because footballers make millions and some of them happen to play for your rivals.
Also, here in the States (yup, I’m American!!!), if you call a black person “colored” you’ll get your face stomped in. (Incidentally, you won’t be arrested for being racist here or for saying something racist. Oh the joys of true free speech.) The terms colored, or Negro, or N***er (even calling a black person “boy” or “uncle tom”) are all unacceptable terms.
Now, there may not be another word in Spanish to describe a black person and this may be why he chose to use “negrito” instead of just saying “negro” which is Spanish for black…but I doubt it. Seems a carefully chosen phrase…but I digress.
Like I said, his own actions have made him the villain. He can only blame himself, much in the same way that Balotelli and his antics have made him a villain as well.
The fact that both of them are quality players and are foreign just makes it easier to hate and pile-on them when they do something “questionable.”
Lastly, as I’m getting long winded here, I applaud you for pointing out the utter hypocrisy with the Van Persie and Nasri incidents. Although, neither should have been sent off for the initial incidents, Van Persie’s punch on Chico should have seen him serve a 3 game suspension.
Great piece, totally agree.
Just to clear up, the last section about the photograph of the kid waiting; The image is actually as Liverpool turned up, and the players got of the coach, walked through those gates and into the dressing room area. From the second the coach pulled into the car park there was a persistent chanting towards Suarez, which was magnified when he got off the coach.
Needless to say he obviously pulled the shutters down, blocked it out and tunnel visioned from the coach to the dressing rooms.
He is very much a racist, changed his story to suit the facts.
He cheats – handballs, diving etc
He attacked a fellow profession while in holland and took a chunck out of his ear.
The guy is utter scum, of the highest order. End of.
Daniel,
I think you are very much a racist
I think you are a liar
I think you are attacking a professional footballer on no grounds
And indeed you are scum of the lowest order. Not only are you a low life you are actually a scum bug in the gutters.
Get your facts right twat
@ Chad. You are spot on, and am well pleased that you’ve given a strong fact file about “negrito” and the similar related comments. I do think both had some words together, and it was for FA and Fergies delight to amputate Liverpool just for being Liverpool.
@ Dan. I am very happy you explained that picture. It shows indeed how biassed the media is to jump on Suarez at any possible moment. It doesn’t matter if he’s a good or a bad person, he is the main target on and off the English pitches.
@ Daniel. That ear biting incident indeed too place. I forgot who Ajax were playing, but it was at home I believe. Apart from that I disagree with your other points