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That, however, is not true, as Suarez’s fellow Hispanic Luis Aragones found out in 2005 when he was coach of Spain. While taking training for a Spain versus France game, he tried to motivate Jose Antonio Reyes by telling him he was a better player than Thierry Henry, who was his team mate at Arsenal. His exact words were:
“Tell that black s**t that you are much better than him. Don’t hold back, tell him. Tell him from me. You have to believe in yourself, you’re better than that black s**t.”
- Luis Aragones in November 2004
Aragones was fined a little more than £2,000 for his remarks and the Royal Spanish Football Federation was forced to apologise for the comments he had made. Aragones’ defence was that his remarks were colloquial and a modus operandi for him to do his job. The same was said by Suarez when he was summoned before the FA, with the official statement saying that him calling Evra a negro was to be taken as ‘blackie’ and not ‘nigger’.
That might be the case in Uruguay, a place where Suarez does not play his football. In England, mutual respect is the norm. How is Evra supposed to know that Suarez wasn’t calling him a nigger but a blackie, which is apparently a conciliatory term in South America? A man who comes from France and has played football in Italy, both nations in which there is widespread racial abuse, is surely not going to know of Suarez’s cultural upbringing.
The press (or the nicer papers anyway) frown down upon racism with brows so furrowed you could draw them in tracing paper. That is always the right thing to do. John Terry may have won his court case but as he found out, karma is a b***ch, with his stand-off against Anton Ferdinand forcing him to abdicate from playing for his country.
“I never had a problem with the media, the media had a problem with me. That affects your family, your friends, it’s not easy. I know Luis, he is strong enough to play football despite all the rumours and all the talk but it’s not easy”.
- Fernando Torres, Chelsea and Spain
Footballers from England also believe about playing the sport the right way. This is the place where sportsmanship first developed and while they may not play the prettiest football, they believe in playing it with honour. A helping hand to someone who has fallen on the ground, putting the ball out in case of an injury to the opposition and the rapturous applause that a player receives when stretchered off are all hallmarks of the game that originated in England.
That explains their disdain towards diving, which is seen as – and truly is – an act of cowardice, which shows that you cannot face your opponent head on. And this looking down on diving isn’t just restricted to foreign players: the likes of Ashley Young and Jermaine Defoe are also criticised in the media when they do dive.
Diving is perceived to be a cheat’s act of desperation, a motion that shows you resorting to underhanded methods because you don’t have the nous to beat your opponent, a dirty trick that should be punished. How then does Suarez try to justify his falling to the ground when sneezed on by his opponents? Is it perhaps cultural in origin? Why then do you not see it week-in, week-out in Brazil, arguably the world’s best footballing nation?
