21 Sept 2012

Evra handshake? Rodgers makes worrying admission about 'ethical' Suarez...

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has assured fans that Luis Suarez will shake Patrice Evra's hand prior to the start of Sunday's crunch game with Manchester United at Anfield.

In his pre-match press conference today, Rodgers admitted that he hadn't discussed the issue with Suarez, but insisted he was 'very confident' that the Uruguayan would shake Evra's hand. He said:

"To be honest, I haven't, no [spoken with Suarez about the handshake]. There's been enough said about that [Suarez-Evra incident] over the last year.

"The episode went on for the whole of last season, but it's a new season now, and we're looking for both sets of players to respect the occasion".


Maybe it's just me, but it seems a little concerning that Rodgers has not discussed the issue with Suarez, especially given what's at stake. Kenny Daglish trusted Suarez to do the right thing last season and look what happened. Prior to Liverpool's defeat at Old Trafford, Dalglish insisted:

"We have spoken to him. I know he will shake the hand of Patrice Evra and the other Manchester United players before the game"



After the game, Suarez tweeted that 'All is not as it seems', which suggested at the time that he felt it was Evra who refused the handshake, and looking at the video above, there's certainly an argument - admittedly tenuous - to say that Evra dropped his hand as Suarez approached:

* Evra may have dropped his hand slightly but was it deliberate attempt to avoid a handshake? It was a highly charged moment for both players, and maybe it was an instinctive, involuntary act?

* Suarez still could've taken his hand, but it's possible he saw the dropped-hand as a signal that Evra wasn't interested?

* Evra's hand was slightly lowered, but his hand was still out there *open*, not closed, which suggests that he wanted to shake hands.

Suarez later apologised for the incident:

"I have spoken with the Manager since the game at Old Trafford and I realise I got things wrong. I've not only let him down, but also the Club and what it stands for and I'm sorry. I made a mistake and I regret what happened. I should have shaken Patrice Evra's hand before the game and I want to apologise for my actions"

Rodgers was also keen to stress Suarez's good qualities:

"Having worked with Luis Suarez, he's a good guy, he's a good man, and ethically he's very strong, so I'm sure there will be no problems at the weekend".

The fact that Rodgers refused to emphatically state 'Suarez WILL shake Evra's hand' is slightly worrying too; it's as if he's unsure, and doesn't want to make an absolute statement about the issue.

Given the significance of the game, and its proximity to the recent Hillsborough revelations, it would be unthinkable for Suarez or Evra to refuse to shake hands on Sunday. The occasion is bigger than their individual feud, and if either player delivers anything less than a whole-hearted handshake, severe disciplinary sanctions should be imposed by the offending player's club.

Jaimie Kanwar


51 comments:

  1. Where does BR say he's not spoken with Suarez, he's just not talking to the press about it. The way it should be.

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  2. In his press conference, Rodgers was asked: 'have you spoken to Luis Suarez about e shaking Evra's hand on Sunday'. he replied: 'To be honest, I haven't, no'. I've stated this in the article.

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  3. so my comment vanishes....

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  4. Are you blind? It's right there. open your eyes.

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  5. I have heard fans keep saying they should handshake and everyone is entitled to a second chance. I do agree with this stance in some cases but in others i feel that sometimes sorry will never be enough. If Suarez truly believes he is innocent and thinks he should not shake his hand then nor should he no matter what anyone says. At the end of the day sometimes people can do things to you where you never ever will accept an apology e.g. kelvin Mackenzie and his scum.

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  6. if Suarez truly believes he is innocent then he still should not shake his hand. at the end of the day sometimes people can label you something your not no matter what you will not apologize or accept and apology as it has gone to far e.g. kelvin Mackenzie

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  7. Just don't shake his hand !

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  8. I agree in principle, but given the occasion, and the Hillsborough connection, surely Suarez should just take it on the chin and shake hands? In any event, he is not 'innocent' - he admitted twice in his witness statements to referring to Evra as 'Negro'. Irrespective of his intention, this is wrong, so he's not totally blameless.

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  9. comments have gone????

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  10. No comments have gone. I still see them all. Perhaps there's a momentary glitch in the comment software...?

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  11. "shake his hand never the bl**dy liar"

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  12. Rodgers is keeping it in house. There is no way in the world, given the fall out from the abuse allegations, FA show trial and subsequent handshake refusal, that senior management and media advisers will not have been at all public facing LFC staff in the run up to this game. The last thing I would expect of Rodgers though is too trot out platitudes on internal issues at a press conference.

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  13. The video clearly shows Evra pull his hand away... Yet every body says it was Suarez refusing! It was and still is a complete joke that Surez is always completely blamed in the saint that is Evra is never found at fault!.. Still let them shake hand and put it to bed, this is about more then their fued its about showing respect to the 96 INNOCENT lives lost, YNWA

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  14. Good points, but you're basically saying then that you expect Rodgers to lie to the fans through his press conferences? He's not just speaking to the press - he's speaking to the fanbase, and I doubt he would lie about something so significant.

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  15. Shake hands and lets move on!

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  16. I understand that the Hillsborough tragedy revelations are fresh and I know it might be the sensitive thing to do but don't you guys think there is something wrong in linking that with the handshake? The way I see it, they could both not shake hands and still pay tribute to the victims...we are always mixing up stuff. The two events are and should be unrelated.

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  17. As a black man who supports LFC I'm sick of the LIVERPOOL fans who have blind support for SUAREZ.Say what he said to a black person in the street you'd have a problem on your hands.
    LIVERPOOL is a worldwide club with many supporters in AFRICA and the CARIBBEAN so you should think about them a bit more.
    Everyone at some point has said or thought something the other race might find offensive. But to make out LUIS SUAREZ is innocent with evidence that says otherwise is stupid.
    I don't think he's racist but he said something that was out of order surely you don't need to be black to understand that.I just want them to shake hands move on and let's get back to talking about football.

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  18. yes mate don't know where they went they flashed up then just disappeared must just be the new comments set up, will know to not re-write my comments next time!

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  19. I do agree with you in principal, however I remember a friend who was in Iraq when i was there. He went to visit some Iraqi civilians who we where trying to teach and help. Everything was going really well until he sat back in the chair crossed his legs, which meant he was showing the sole of his feet to the Iraqi people and suddenly it went from good to bad as they where not happy. After much apologizing and repeat wording of 'so sorry did not mean to offend, i am truly sorry' all was fine. Does this mean the lad was racist and culturally bad or did he just make a mistake through the fact he did not understand the host nation culture fully. sometimes you can offend people from different cultures by just using simple ordinary gestures you do e.g.

    Give someone the thumbs up sign in Thailand and you can get your head kicked in!

    in southern Asia indicate to someone to come here with your fingers, will cause a riot.

    simply patting someone on the head as a 'well done mate' in countries like like sri Lanka may get your head kicked in.

    eating with your left hand in Muslim countries, seriously offends, I know i am left handed and done it an apologized!

    and the lis goes on. All i am saying is i think Suarez is a typical English person, goes to another country, doesn't bother to learn the language, enforces his own ideology on the host country and if they don't understand speak louder. this English attitude is en-grained in the Englishman whether your white or black.

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  20. Did Suarez apologise? no he repeated continued even after he knew it was offensive to Evra. I don`t see your point here. If he said it only once then yr point stands.

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  21. If I was Suarez I would shake his hand but I would make it a proper crunch the fingers hand shake. Evra cannot scream racist for that and Evra would look like a proper nancy for saying that Suarez has a firm handshake.

    Show Evra who is boss and hopefully Suarez plays on the left and makes Evra look like a ballerina

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  22. LUIS SUAREZ didn't come to this country straight from SOUTH AMERICA. We got him from AJAX where their views on what he said would be seen as the same in this country.So why no problem of this nature over in HOLLAND?
    How many excuses are you going to make for a 25 year old man that has been living in EUROPE for over 5 years.
    Cultural difference in terms of hand gestures and other examples you brought up are very different to saying a word that anyone with half a brain regardless of where you're from knows is wrong to use.
    There are plenty of examples of foreign players that don't talk good ENGLISH but don't come out with racist language.You'll tell me next that LUIS SUAREZ doesn't know where the word originates from next.
    We should teach our young fans that it isn't acceptable rather than make excuses and I'm disappointed more people don't take my stance.

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  23. suarez should do what he feels personally if someone accused me of racism and got me a ban then came the victim again over the handshake incident i would shake his fu^king neck

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  24. I'm pretty sure that Suarez would come out very much second best in a confrontation like that.

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  25. Hello BEAST

    You say you are a black man. Well just open the link and have a look at how Evra who is also black can get away with being racist towards others...

    I bet you will say it is fake?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMOWi3PRDJM

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  26. What, are they going to ban Suarez for giving Evra a firm handshake? If that is the case then football players should start wearing lingerie.

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  27. I never understand what's the big deal. If Suarez don't want to shake his hand he doesn't have to. I wouldn't shake his hand even if it meant that WW III would have started. There r people I don't like and I would never shake their hand. Why should VAMOS SUAREZ, YNWA

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  28. Beast my friend, i have been a watch manager in the raf and have had black, Asian, Muslim, white, Chinese personnel on my crews over the yrs. The fact is whatever your culture,background colour of skin, in my mind every crew that i have been in charge of they where all British 100%, because that is where they where born and they all had the same ideology. We have been to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kenya etc and do you know we where all in agreement; British people have a distinct different culturally in their outlook than others no matter what you skin colour is, we in Britain have gone passed the skin colour and it is now about ideology and culture. If you have been brought up in a British environment, then you are British. please do not ascertain that you are a specialist in cultural differences because of the colour of your skin as to be fair buddy, at present there is a black bloke from Surinam, a Muslim from turkey on my crew and we all get on like a house on fire. but as they said ' in order for people to get on, you need to understand your brother will make a mistake' top advice from top people!!!!

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  29. cultural differences in some societies are more than words, as i have said it depends on your cultural society acceptance to that gesture or reference. Beast, you regard verbal references more strongly than physical gestures as you have been brought up in a society that reflects this stance. To signify that your plight if more stronger than that of a culture who accept physical gestures more strongly than verbal gestures makes you a bit of a hypocrite as you are not accepting another cultures way of existence. sorry to get deep but there is approximately 140 odd religions in the world and even more cultural differences. to argue that there is a white and black solution due to your particular situation is flawed.

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  30. You try to defend what SUAREZ has said by talking about what happens in other countries when you make hand gestures.Then call me a hypocrite for trying to make you understand that something you unknowingly do with your hands and what your fully aware and in control of saying is different.
    As a well travelled man I don't need to lectured on what goes on outside the UK.But we are talking about a specific case."White and black solution due to your situation is flawed" if that was a response to my last 2 sentences I think you're over thinking. That was about setting a good example for youngsters.Look what happened in a cup match against weaker opposition not long after the SUAREZ case.
    Look at the video that MAX sent this is what condoning the language of SUAREZ does to young impressionable people.Try to understand a situation from a different perspective before calling me a hypocrite.

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  31. When exactly did I say that I was a specialist on cultural differences due to the colour of my skin?
    I have views and I express them."you need to understand your brother makes mistakes" My previous messages will echo those thoughts.

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  32. I was meaning more in that I'd suspect that Evra is a lot stronger than Suarez and would apply a far firmer handshake in return.

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  33. to the media that is a good answer. he is at lfc cos of the mistakes kenny made in the media. BR is thinking in terms of what questions will be asked and written in every paper etc. he wants to let the players do talking on pitch. kenny was not clever and I reckon BR isnt gonna make the same mistakes

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  34. Jaimie sometimes any fanbase can in the situation give currently of what resulted kenny losing his job is forget about everyone and just concentrate on the next match. BR is honest as ive seen any manager in the media in premiership. He doesnt need to write or say any much to us fans. All we know has been leaked by media and kenny sparked the fire. I would rather be quiet instead of loud given the past 11 days and a huge game 2mw.

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  35. BEAST, so I posted the video about Evra racially abusing a person of his own colour and also he had a swipe at old Lampard.

    How can Evra accuse Suarez of being a racist when he himself is happy to use the 'N' word? He is promoting the word and using it willingly towards others but if he 'hears' it from someone else he cries like a little baby.

    Evra should be taken to task for being a bloody hypocrite so why should anyone take Evra seriously?

    Black people promote the 'N' word in their music, movies etc etc and Black people refer to each other as N***** so why do they lose their minds when someone else uses the word? It seems like there is a bit of double standards in this whole situation?

    Who is the innocent party in the Evra vs Suarez fiasco after reading what I have just posted?

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  36. BEAST, the reason why I posted the video of Evra is to show that he should clean up his own backyard before telling other people how dirty theirs is.

    Evra who is a black man has no problem using the 'N' word but caused a fiasco regarding the incident with Suarez.

    Evra cannot have it both ways I am afraid. If he is going to PROMOTE the 'N' word then what right does he have to call other people racist? DOUBLE STANDARDS is the term I was looking for.

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  37. The clip reminds me of those old Kung fu movies made with dodgy voice overs,grow up.You only gave my previous comments more weight.
    But I don't blame you it's down to other people like i was saying to set a better example not live in a world of excuses!
    As much as I've enjoyed seeing how other people think can we start talking about football and not bang on about race or post stupid videos.

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  38. SO you think admitting to have committed 'the act' means he actually did it?Have you ever attended court session Jamie?Dont you know many innocent souls are lavishing in jails around the globe?

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  39. not to mention the numerous gaping holes in his statments and admitting to lying when cross examined

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  40. read the report moron! Suaraz admitted to not shaking his hand...... yet you're still banging that drum. READ THE FACTS!! And please don't insult the memory of the 96 by mentioning them right after the drivel you've just written

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  41. except he lived in holland for a couple of years and clearly would've known the meaning of the word he used.

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  42. suarez to date has never apologised directly to evra

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  43. yep brilliant behaviour considering the occasion. Lovely way to rile up the fans...

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  44. judging by how quickly suarez hits the deck, you're right

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  45. this week has seen man utd fans reputation dragged through the mud for idiots, but judging by these comments it's clearly some of you liverpool fans who have a brain the size of a peanut

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  46. And Holland is England how?

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  47. Should I remind you that the Dutch (as well as most of the world) thought that this was simply an example of English moral hypocrisy? That's called cultural diversity.

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  48. I think Suarez and Evra should shake hands so we no longer have to suffer through hysterical rants by false moralists.

    Query why no one is worked up about Anton Ferdinand not shaking Terry's or Cole's hands. Will society not crumble because of that? Considering Anton Ferdinand was winding Terry up during the game it is stunning to me why he gets a free pass...Why is it that Anton Ferdinand and Evra got free passes when they admitted to insulting their opponents?

    Something is rotten in Denmark...

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