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Soccer News of Tuesday, 5 May 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

I almost punched Suarez over racial abuse - Evra

Suarez and Evra Suarez and Evra

Former French international, Patrice Evra has recounted the racial abuse he suffered at the hands of Luis Suarez during a clash in the Premier League in 2011.

The incident led to Suarez getting an eight-match ban which also saw him refusing to shake hands with Evra the next time their teams Liverpool and Manchester United met.

Evra stated that he almost punched the Uruguayan for the abuse but had to talk himself out of it.

“The referee [Andre Marriner] came over and asked what was happening with us two.

"He’d seen my eyes change and he asked if I was okay. I told him he racially abused me and he said: ‘Okay, we’ll talk after the game. Keep playing and don’t do anything silly’.

“I remember, during that game, I was talking to myself saying: ‘If you punch him now, people will see you as the bad one. People will forget about what he said’.

"I was talking to myself: ‘Don’t do… do it…’ I wasn’t focused for the game.

"I can do my job - I could have punched him on the pitch, but what would I have got? Maybe banned for two years? In front of all the kids and all the people watching the game."

Suarez was backed by Liverpool fans who also issued threats to Evra as claimed by the Frenchman.

”After it was in the papers, and Manchester United received so many threatening letters about me.

"People said: ‘We’re in jail, we’re Liverpool fans. When we get out, we’re going to kill you and your family’," he added.

"For two months, I had security everywhere I went.

"They were sleeping in front of my house. Everywhere I went, the security followed me. It was a tough time, but I wasn’t scared.

"My family were scared: my wife and brother, but I wasn’t.

"I couldn’t understand why people hated me so much. They didn’t know the truth.”