The OFFICIAL Liverpool FC thread - #DankeJürgen

[EC Unique]

Apparently Evra had said to Suarez ''Don't touch me, you South American,' to which Suarez replies: 'Porque, negro'.  I think this is fact.

If this is the case then Suarez is guilty, no matter what people claim is acceptable in Uruguay.  I know a few men out in Aughabrack who would all call Alan Carr something not very politically correct, but I bet that if they were over in London working and called a work colleague the same name, that their excuse that what they said is acceptable back home would not make the comment acceptable (even if their Granda was Freddie Mercury).

At the same time, how is what Evra said any different?  Are racial and ethnic abuse any different?

The Terry case is different in that if Terry's account is the way it happended then he did nothing wrong.

As for Liverpool fans bringing up the Rio Ferdinand case, he missed a test(s) yet took one around the time which was clean.

Rio's test as clean for what? What did they test for?

Irrelevant anyway.

Suarez said "But black"? What does that mean?

I've read that Evra called Suarez "sudaca", which is an abusive term for a South American. As you say, why isn't he being charged with something, if true.

So much of this stuff is speculative anyway until the report comes out.

Nail on head there.

[Carmen Stateside]

Gordon Taylor is one of the most odious cnuts involved in the game, a sewer rat.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/nov/19/said-and-done-sepp-blatter

Man of the week: PFA head Gordon Taylor – says Sepp's view on "heat of the moment" racism is "embarrassing... he doesn't understand how divisive racism is. Saying that anyone on the receiving end should just treat it as part of the game and shake hands, it's outrageous. He's just not with it." (1994: Taylor says Stuart Pearce's alleged racist abuse of Paul Ince was "in the heat of the moment ... Stuart regrets what he said, and he'll be ringing Paul to apologise. Hopefully that will be the end of it.")

[Carmen Stateside]

Uruguay Captain Diego Lugano voices his support for Suarez.

From his official site:

"I can't believe this. It is a huge mistake that is being made. It is obvious that England has a problem with racism that they're trying to eradicate there, and that is fine, but this sentence has no solid grounds. Luis is a victim. I don't understand how a player like Evra can do this. He's breaking all the codes of football. We all know the kind of person Luis is, the values he has. We are very hurt. When a teammate of ours is suffering, we are all suffering. Now, all there is is supporting him and being with him", he said.
http://www.diegolugano.org/

[Captain Obvious]

Uruguay Captain Diego Lugano voices his support for Suarez.

From his official site:

"I can't believe this. It is a huge mistake that is being made. It is obvious that England has a problem with racism that they're trying to eradicate there, and that is fine, but this sentence has no solid grounds. Luis is a victim. I don't understand how a player like Evra can do this. He's breaking all the codes of football. We all know the kind of person Luis is, the values he has. We are very hurt. When a teammate of ours is suffering, we are all suffering. Now, all there is is supporting him and being with him", he said.
http://www.diegolugano.org/

It's not like it was a spur of the moment decision by the FA they even put it back a few days, they didn't believe Suarez side of events and they found him guilty of racially abusing Evra. The danger now with appealing would be that the FA might regard it as frivolous and increase it.

[deiseach]

Good article in the Guardian outlining the pointlessness of any appeal:

Luis Suárez and Liverpool have limited appeal options to FA and courts

Luis Suárez has 14 days to consider whether to appeal against his eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra from the date that Liverpool receive the written reasons of the Football Association's regulatory commission, not from Tuesday, which was the date of the decision. It is important to note that Suárez can only appeal against the level of the sanction not the actual verdict.

I would expect Liverpool to receive the written reasons quite soon – they are usually provided within three working days of the decision being announced, although the Christmas period may slow this down. Giving two weeks to decide whether to lodge an appeal is unusual. The usual directions for appeals against the decisions of the regulatory commission provide for a much tighter timetable.

If Suárez decides not to appeal, the decision will become binding. If he decides to appeal, he must provide written submissions and there will be a hearing, at which he will be represented by lawyers. The appeal board can reduce the sanction, but it can also increase the sanction and its decision is stated to be final and binding. But if it goes against Suárez, he may be inclined to try a further challenge.

The additional options he may try to challenge the decision include the following:

• He could bring arbitration proceedings under rule K of the FA's rules. Such an arbitration would be limited to a challenge to the validity of the decision on the grounds of ultra vires (including error of law), irrationality or procedural unfairness. An arbitration would likely take place behind closed doors before a three-person tribunal. The process would take months rather than weeks, and it is likely that the suspension and fine would take effect pending the arbitration.

• He could attempt to bring judicial review proceedings in the high court, but his chances of getting this type of action off the ground must be considered quite limited. In a challenge to the setting up of the Premier League in 1992, the high court decided that the FA was not subject to judicial review.

Regarding how the FA will have prepared for attempts at appeal, the regulatory commission will take great care in the drafting of its written decision. The commission will want to ensure, as far as possible, that the logic and the application of the FA rules are as watertight as possible, giving as little room as they can to routes of appeal.

One other option that may be considered relates to the statement released by Liverpool FC. I note it states that "the accusation by this particular player [Evra] was not credible – certainly no more credible than his prior unfounded accusations". Suárez, therefore, may consider suing Evra for defamation.

When decisions such as this come out, teams and players usually make a statement about "going all the way to Europe". Yet such statements rarely, if ever, come to anything. Rights of access to both the European court of human rights and the court of arbitration for sport are strictly limited, and I would find it hard to believe that any such challenge would be made in the first place.

It also strikes me that any decision whether to appeal may be used tactically. Suárez has 14 days to either (i) accept the charge, (ii) lodge an appeal or (iii) do nothing. If he admits the charge the penalty will take effect from the date the charge is admitted. Should Suárez appeal, the penalty is suspended until after the outcome of the appeal. Alternatively, Suárez could do nothing and allow the penalty to begin at the expiry of the 14-day deadline. These options will determine which matches Suárez can play in over the coming weeks.

A final point: when I advise clients on whether to commence legal action, the legal merits of their case is only one of a number of factors that I take into account. In a case such as this, Suárez and Liverpool should think long and hard about whether they want this case dragged out. A sensible option may be a contrite statement from Suárez making clear that he is not a racist and that he is gravely sorry for any offence he has caused and that, notwithstanding that he does not agree with the decision, he wants to put the whole episode behind him. The risk for Suárez of taking this further is that he goes down in history as the case that got to grips with racism in high-level football.

Steven Friel is a lawyer for Brown Rudnick who specialises in complex disputes

Time to take it on the chin. If Liverpool can beat Oldham in the FA Cup then he could miss only four League matches.

[Bensars]

Now that is funny !

[Norf Tyrone]

Uruguay Captain Diego Lugano voices his support for Suarez.

From his official site:

"I can't believe this. It is a huge mistake that is being made. It is obvious that England has a problem with racism that they're trying to eradicate there, and that is fine, but this sentence has no solid grounds. Luis is a victim. I don't understand how a player like Evra can do this. He's breaking all the codes of football. We all know the kind of person Luis is, the values he has. We are very hurt. When a teammate of ours is suffering, we are all suffering. Now, all there is is supporting him and being with him", he said.
http://www.diegolugano.org/

Does it? I'd guess that England is well done the list of countries that has a problem with racism.

[Carmen Stateside]

11 more goals needed to reach 20000 premiership goals.  The scorer gets 20 grand for charity, how sweet would it be for Suarez to score it tonight?
Reading that the team tonight is to warm up wearing Suarez tops, plus they have a statement on the way.

[The Worker]

any word on tonights team?

[ballinaman]

11 more goals needed to reach 20000 premiership goals.  The scorer gets 20 grand for charity, how sweet would it be for Suarez to score it tonight?
Reading that the team tonight is to warm up wearing Suarez tops, plus they have a statement on the way.

[Hoof Hearted]

http://t.co/mrNWV1PA

[Captain Obvious]

Liverpool could learn a thing or two from Chelsea's statement

"Chelsea Football Club today received notification from the Crown Prosecution Service that John Terry has been charged with a racially aggravated public order offence.

John has made it clear he denies the charge and is determined to do all he can to prove his innocence.

Chelsea FC has always been fully supportive of John in this matter and there is no question that we will continue to be so.

The club finds all forms of discrimination abhorrent and we are proud of the work we undertake campaigning on this important issue.

Chelsea will not be commenting further on the subject while the legal process runs its course"

[Carmen Stateside]

Suarez starts!
Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique, Henderson, Adam, Downing, Kuyt, Rodriques, Suarez.

[Carmen Stateside]

[EC Unique]

11 more goals needed to reach 20000 premiership goals.  The scorer gets 20 grand for charity, how sweet would it be for Suarez to score it tonight?
Reading that the team tonight is to warm up wearing Suarez tops, plus they have a statement on the way.

It would be the wrong thing for them to do but after yesterday's statement from LFC nothing would suprise me.