Read The Reasons For Suarez's Ban

The FA has today published the reasons behind Luis Suarez’s 8 match ban, after he was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra.

Liverpool FC released a statement following the decision to ban Evra, falsely claiming that he had made unfounded accusations of racism before. They also falsely claimed the FA had ruled simply on the basis of one player’s word against the other, when in fact video footage and Suarez’s own admission helped prove he was guilty.

“Mr Suarez’s evidence was unreliable in relation to matters of critical importance. It was, in part, inconsistent with the contemporaneous evidence, especially the video footage. For example, Mr Suarez said that he pinched Mr Evra’s skin in an attempt to defuse the situation. He also said that his use of the word ‘negro’ to address Mr Evra was conciliatory and friendly. We rejected that evidence. To describe his own behaviour in that way was unsustainable and simply incredible given that the players were engaged in an acrimonious argument. That this was put forward by Mr Suarez was surprising and seriously undermined the reliability of his evidence on other matters. There were also inconsistencies between his accounts given at different times as to what happened.”

During the game Evra had asked Suarez why he had kicked him, to which the forward replied: “Because you are black.” When Evra challenged him to repeat the answer and said he would “punch him”, Suarez said: “I don’t speak to blacks.” According to the report, Evra then told Suarez he was going to hit him, to which the Uruguay international replied in Spanish: “Dale, negro, negro, negro.” That translates to “okay, blackie, blackie, blackie”.

“The suggestion that he behaved towards Mr Evra at this time in a conciliatory and friendly way, or intended to do so in using the word “negro”, is, in our judgment, simply not credible.”

Click here to read the FA report in full.