Soccer

Suarez to face racial abuse charge

Soccer: Luis Suarez has been charged by the English FA with racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra

Wed Nov 16 2011 - 00:00

Soccer:Luis Suarez has been charged by the English FA with racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. The announcement was made today following a month-long investigation into the claims against Liverpool's Uruguayan striker.

An FA statement said: “The FA has today charged Liverpool’s Luis Suarez following an incident that occurred during the Liverpool versus Manchester United fixture at Anfield on October 15th.

“It is alleged that Suarez used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards Manchester United’s Patrice Evra contrary to FA rules. It is further alleged that this included a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Patrice Evra.”

Meanwhile, Fifa president Sepp Blatter has claimed any racist abuse between players on the pitch should be settled by a handshake. Blatter’s insistence that there is no racism on the field of play is bound to prove controversial — as well as his suggested solution.

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Asked if he thought there was racism on the pitch, the Fifa president told CNN World Sport: “I would deny it. There is no racism, there is maybe one of the players towards another, he has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one.

“But also the one who is affected by that, he should say that this is a game. We are in a game, and at the end of the game, we shake hands, and this can happen, because we have worked so hard against racism and discrimination.

“I think the whole world is aware of the efforts we are making against racism and discrimination. And on the field of play sometimes you say something that is not very correct, but then at the end of the game, the game is over and you have the next game where you can behave better.”

Blatter also admitted there are problems over the preparations for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with personal clashes between Brazil president Dilma Rousseff and Ricardo Teixeira, the head of Brazilian football.

Blatter added: “The World Cup in Brazil must be a great success. There are some problems on different levels. Governmental guarantees... have to pass by decree to the congress or to parliament and this has not yet been done.

“And then there’s another problem, it’s a personal problem obviously between the president of the country and the president of football.”