Suarez blames Evra race row on Manchester United’s 'political power'
The Liverpool striker has claimed that he tried to shake hands with
the France defender when they met at Old Trafford but says that "it was
all arranged against me again"
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has hit out at Manchester United's "political power" and claims that it played against him during his dispute with defender Patrice Evra.
The 25-year-old received criticism for
failing to shake Evra's hand when the two players met again later in the
season but he believes that the incident was a "misunderstanding" and
even suggested that the controversy was "all arranged against me again".
Suarez insists that he had no problem with
the Frenchman having served his punishment, and admitted that he had
agreed to shake his hand with members of his family and the Liverpool
hierarchy, including then-manager Kenny Dalglish.
"Before the
match against Man United, I promised my wife, the manager and the
directors that I was going to shake my hand with Evra," Suarez said
during an interview on Uruguayan television.
"Why not, I thought,
because I had no problems with him. I had been punished because of him,
but I had no problems with shaking hands.
"But I was not forced
to greet him. In fact, there was the possibility that neither Man United
nor Liverpool's players would shake hands, as it had happened with
Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea.
"But I thought why not, if my punishment was over. I had no problems with Evra. It was only a handshake and I was OK with that.
"But
it was a misunderstanding, what happened between me and Evra at Old
Trafford. In fact, I think it was all arranged against me again, as it
had happened with the punishment.
"The media in England showed
the moment when I passed in front of him, but they didn't see that he
had his hand low before. Only the media in Uruguay but also in Spain
showed that I wanted to shake his hand.
"But in England, Man United has this political power, and you have to respect that and shut your mouth."
Suarez went on to describe how emotionally draining the saga had been for him in the middle of the Premier League season.
The Uruguay international aimed a further jab
at United by opining that the Manchester club's main motive for
pursuing punishment was to deal a footballing blow to their fierce
rivals.
"It was so hard what happened to me," Suarez continued.
"I don't show my emotions in the field, you know, but outside I do it
and I cried a lot with all the Evra stuff.
"The trial week was so
complicated for me. My wife and I cried a lot during that week. That's
when I realised who were the people who really support me and who were
the people who were with me because of their personal interest.
"People at the club are sure that it was a way that Man United used to put me out of the team and stop Liverpool.
"I
had to go to Manchester in a taxi for the trial. I got up at seven in
the morning and I came home at nine at night. I was exhausted, I was so
tired. I wanted to cry, and kick all the things around me.
"I
came home and I wanted to do all that, but I couldn't because my
daughter was at home. There were really complicated days, and then
things became harder after the punishment."
Source : Goal.com