Despite some vintage Premier League entertainment today which included 29 goals, the events have been overshadowed by the pathetic actions of Luis Suarez, which have served to prolong the engulfment of English football under an increasingly dark cloud. Suarez had an opportunity to defuse the tensions surrounding the race row with a simple handshake at the beginning of the game, and a humble attitude on the pitch during it. Instead, the Uruguayan has voluntarily reignited an issue that could, and in the view of most football fans should have been put to bed.
Suarez knew the eyes of the world would be upon him when he refused to proffer his hand in response to Evra, and knew that the implications would be significant; no amount of cultural naivety can conceal that. The explanation for refusing to shake Evra’s hand probably lies in a resentment of the Frenchman for harming his image by accusing Suarez of something he evidently believes he is not guilty of. But when your personal beliefs could have such damaging repercussions for a brand and an employer like Liverpool football club, it is better to keep those beliefs to yourself, rather than to take a provocative stance in the eyes of the world. Suarez’s actions have therefore dragged Liverpool’s proud reputation through the dirt, and this is why Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments that Suarez should never play for Liverpool again are entirely fair. The club must act to preserve their image. Their support for Suarez is becoming increasingly difficult to justify, and any continuation of this stance could land them in even hotter water. Despite his remorseless conduct, not many of the footballing fraternity believe Suarez is a racist; this is not the main issue. The point is that Liverpool’s staunch defence of the South American portray the club as representative of views that English football thought had been left firmly behind, chiefly that racism is an acceptable form of behaviour on the football pitch.
At the centre of this frankly shameful attitude has been Kenny Dalglish. The Liverpool manager’s evasive and defensive comments in the post-match interview compounded further the significance of today’s events for Liverpool, and contrasted with those of Ferguson, who even had the sensibility to deplore Evra’s excessive celebrations at the final whistle of Manchester United’s 2-1 victory over Dalglish and Suarez’s beleaguered Liverpool. Dalglish’s infuriating post-match interviews have been a recurring theme this season, and his intransigence over the Suarez affair has served to discredit his regime. Only Liverpool fans blinded by loyalty would say that Dalgish has handled the situation well. He and Liverpool’s conduct, from the infamous shirts sported before the match against Wigan Athletic to the badly worded statement in defence of Suarez, have been shocking throughout. In this way, the events of the past few months have transformed one of the most universally popular football clubs in English history to, at present, the most hated.
It remains to be seen how this sorry episode will conclude. It surely represents the darkest chapter in Premier League history. The book could have been closed on it today, but instead the issue has been reignited by an act of both selfishness and petulance. Liverpool’s next move is crucial, and will be thoroughly scrutinised by the footballing world and the media. Instead of digging themselves a deeper hole by persistently defending the undefendable, the club can make a stance by transfer listing Luis Suarez, thereby halting their growing isolation from the footballing community. Some issues are bigger than football, and this is one of them. Liverpool must strive to restore their reputation and put this sorry tale firmly behind them with a symbolic act, to show that their institution is not representative of attitudes of a bygone era.
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