Suarez the Scapegoat? Controversy Corner....

Has Luis Suarez been made a scapegoat in a rather delicate situation? Is it a law for some and a different law for others? 

The debate over favouritism from the FA is one that has raged for years. Certain clubs appear to get away with murder, whilst other clubs bear the punishment in full. Recently, it has been the resting of players in matches. We can all recall Mick McCarthy being disciplined for resting 10 players in a Premier League fixture against Manchester United in 2009. Yet the big 4 clubs regularly rest several key and first team players pre and post continental fixtures. Why is it a cardinal sin against Wolverhampton Wolves, who decided to rest certain players prior to a massive relegation 6 pointer, yet the big clubs are allowed to rest players for European clashes?

Luis Suarez has just been handed a 8 game suspension along with a 40k pound fine for calling Manchester United's French International a "Negrito", a commonly used Spanish nickname directly translating to "little black man". For what it is worth, yes Suarez should not have said what he said, especially to somebody who is not on your side of the footballing pitch. Whilst Suarez claimed that the term is commonly used within his culture, reality check please, you are in the United Kingdom. Using the term in question, or any term which sounds anything like it will land you in trouble. Suarez should not be labelled a racist, as a racist intentionally sets out to demean an individual based on their culture, heritage and skin colour. If anything, Suarez' suspension should be categorised under the stupidity banner for not knowing where he is and why he should not say certain things. Suarez is well known for his charitable works in South African townships prior to the 2010 World Cup, as are Liverpool FC who lead the way in ensuring racism is eliminated from the beautiful game.

Suarez can ironically hold his head up high in this situation. He has been completely open and up front throughout the whole interrogation process, admitting to using the term, as well as providing a complete insight into the use of the term within his own context. Whilst leniency is debatable, what is not debatable is the fact that Suarez has been made a scape goat in the FA's fight to prove to FIFA and Sepp Blatter that they are indeed in control of their Football Association. 

Why has nothing been made of Mr Evra's response to Luis Suarez throughout the game. As Suarez went to apologise to Evra after being brought together by referee Andre Marriner on that fateful day in October, the Frenchman said, "Don't touch me you South American". Sure, he was just labelling Suarez what he was, but why is that any different to what Suarez labelled Evra? In Liverpool's official response to the sentence, it is quoted, 

" We would also like to know when the FA intend to charge Patrice Evra with making abusive remarks to an opponent after he admitted himself in his evidence to insulting Luis Suarez in Spanish in the most objectionable of terms". (LFC)

 And indeed they deserve to know when the FA intend on following up on this. Why isn't their a separate team investigating that issue at the same time. Why deal with the Suarez issue before the Evra issue, allowing Evra to continue on whilst Suarez has to sit and watch from the side lines.

More disturbing is the blatant favouritism provided to current England captain and centre-half John Terry. Not a man to stay away from the headlines, John Terry can be clearly seen via the Guardian  labelling QPR footballer Anton Ferdinand a, "F##kin Black C#NT. What is important to note is that the referee, match officials and Anton Ferdinand himself did not here the offending comments however Ferdinand did insist that he had very strong feelings about the matter and pushed on with the enquiry and investigation. Yet the FA have not even suggested a charge, wiping their hands clean as the matter is now a matter of investigation for the Crown Prosecution Service. The matter was brought to daylight following an anonymous complaint from the public against John Terry.

So why does the current England Captain's direct remarks, clearly seen in video footage, create minimal fuss, whilst Luis Suarez makes silly out of context comments and is dished an 8 week suspension. Is that not an injustice in itself, Suarez made a scape goat, whilst John Terry continues on his merry ways? As it is not the first time Mr Terry has found him self in the headlines, yet he continues to dodge all the bullets….

I might be a man for a conspiracy theory, but this just stinks...