In fact, it frequently has a positive meaning.

"It's often a term of endearment," he said.

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This maybe true but why was he saying to Evra in the context of one of the fiercest rivalries in europe...I am sure he wasn't trying to make a new friend.

His motive will have been to wind up, antagonise, insult so if he did use the word as reported then he is guilty and has no defence.

Negrito = Little black one. - A term of endearment, probably used sarcastically by Suarez.

F'ing black c*** = Indefensible.

DevonshireSpur

How could you possibly know that?

You can't know that, you can't prove it.

Nobody can prove it, there will be no proof in court meaning end of case and Suarez is innocent.

It's not about what you know, it's what you can prove in court.

(Thank you Law Abiding Citizen)

Its not a court matter. Its an FA Hearing.

In any event, if it went to court, a decent advocate would ask the questions. ...."So Mr Suarez in the contest of a fierce battle between bitter rivals WHY were you using what you refer to as a term of endearment to refer to your opponent, the enemy. Were you trying to make a new friend in the heat of battle. Did you expect to exchange numbers at the endof the game and facebook each other, or were you trying to upset your opponent and put him off his game, hopefully make him do some he'd regret like swing at you or make an error in play?"

The only real answer that Suarez could give with any credibility would be that he was attempting to antagonise to gain an advantage and thus the use of the word comes from a motive to insult rather than to complement.

I rest my case your honour!

DevonshireSpur

But if Suarez said that he was using it as a term of affection to calm the situation down, then what?

A bit like in the pub, some guy kicks off at you and you say "calm down there mate".

If Suarez said that what would your case be?

Case open again

(Totally accept your point though)

It was said on a British football field and Suarez will be well aware of referring to the colour of a player to wind him up is strictly taboo
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But it isn't an English word, is it?

I've said before and I'll say again that it depends on the context.

If it is found that Suarez used the word as a racial slur, then of course he should not be awarded any leniency.

The matter of fact is that for the time being we don't know if the actual word itself was intended to wind him up - why is it so difficult to let those who have all the available evidence decide, rather to judge someone innocent or guilty on the basis is assumptions?

Or he was trying to reconcile after getting Evra wound up after repeatedly owning him football wise...

My previous comment was directed @DevonshireSpur
Btw

comment by itsonlyagame - the relegation pace-setter (U6426) posted 26 seconds ago

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I am speaking purely on a hypothetical basis. In truth we do not know yet what was said

For all we know, he may have called him a frog.

Oh, you don't have to be a brain surgeon to work out the context of how it was said, particularly being numerous occasions, unless Suarez has suddenly changed personality overnight.

Footballers wind each other up. It's part of the game. There is a line that shouldn't be crossed though

My previous comment was directed @DevonshireSpur
Btw.
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And Boy! What a great comment it was too!

Regardless of whether the term 'negrito' has racist connotations, is everyone on this board saying itis fine when you're having a little slanging match to make reference to someone's race?

Would it be no problem if white player A called black player B 'little black'? (Remember, they don't know each other and it's not exactly in the context of friendly banter.)

Other contexts that inform my take on this:

1) It wasn't long ago (before the whole 'PC' thing that some people reckon to have gone mad) that whole terraces of fans were shouting racist abuse at black players - my personal memory is of standing among Man Utd away fans making monkey noises when John Barnes (then still of Watford) was on the ball.

2) We shouldn't assume that just because a word is 'normal' in Uruguay, it doesn't carry some meaning that should be objected to. Black people in Uruguay are by and large descendents of slaves and are on average less well-off than the descendents of people who emigrated to the country of their free will and enjoyed full economic rights from the start. Can we be totally sure that there is nothing at all demeaning in addressing a stranger as 'negrito' with all that historical baggage? Just because the person using the word doesn't perceive it as racist doesn't make it so. I'm sure Luis Aragones (and the many in Spain who defended him) didn't perceive he was racist when he called Henry a black *******. I'm absolutely sure the Spanish Olympic basketball team didn't think they were being racist when they posed for a photo before the 2008 games doing 'Chinese eyes'. Racist / demeaning things can be deemed culturally acceptable in relatively racist societies.

All that said, we don't know the facts of this incident and I've no interest in lynching Suarez without proof of what he said. My point is only that if he did say that, I'm not comfortable with it.

comment by honestlivpool_five_times (U1661) posted 6 minutes ago

Or he was trying to reconcile after getting Evra wound up after repeatedly owning him football wise...

------------------------
The thing is

If there was an allegation last season against say Nani saying something to NGog, it would have been the Liverpool fans saying all the stuff United fans are saying now and vice versa although I like to think I would be an exception personally

DevonshireSpur

Stop avoiding my point!!!

It took me ages substituting words with synonyms before I deduced it was the less offensive of Aragones' two words that ja606 was blocking! Is there a list of banned words we can consult?

DevonshireSpur

But if Suarez said that he was using it as a term of affection to calm the situation down, then what?

A bit like in the pub, some guy kicks off at you and you say "calm down there mate".

If Suarez said that what would your case be?

Case open again

(Totally accept your point though)

- - - - -

If the word used is as reported (Negrito or translated Little Black Man) I fail to see how the use of that word could in any situation or context be used to calm a situation down.

I can understand if you are having a row with your girll friend and you said, "ok calm down sugartits" that may break a smile out on her face (either that or utter rage) and difuse the situation leading to reconciliation BUT that would certainly not be appropriate term to use if you were arguing with someone you knew far less well.

Suarez has played in Europe for 4 or 5 years now, that term would not be accepted anywhere he has played(except Blatters house when referring to his staff) , except maybe in close company. I'm guessing they are not chums and thus wholly inappropriate to use it.

I mentioned somewhere before that ignorance is no defence but it may be a mitigating factor if/when the punishment is handed down....4 game ban IMO.

comment by Devonshirespur (U6316) posted 8 minutes ago My previous comment was directed @DevonshireSpur Btw. --------And Boy! What a great comment it was too!
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I can understand if you are having a row with your girll friend and you said, "ok calm down sugartits" that may break a smile out on her
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Not in my house it wouldn't

honestlivpool_five_times, you're alright!

I fail to see how the use of that word could in any situation or context be used to calm a situation down.
_______________________
That's because you want to see it as an insult. If Evra's team mates use it Suarez would be right to think it could calm him down..

Say you're fighting and suddenly hear a name only your close friends or family call you...

UnitedRedMacca is quite right. The dividing lines on this issue have been depressingly tribal, rather than ideological. The way most of our fans defended Keane after the Haaland assault gives a pointer to how United fans would flock to a United player's defence if the roles were reversed.

I'd like to see all United fans displaying some caution before rushing to judge what wa said - and Liverpool fans embodying their city's proud, left-wing tradition of anti-racism. (Oslo really is a fine city.)

I can understand if you are having a row with your girll friend and you said, "ok calm down sugartits" that may break a smile out on her
-------------

If the word used is as reported (Negrito or translated Little Black Man) I fail to see how the use of that word could in any situation or context be used to calm a situation down.

I can understand if you are having a row with your girll friend and you said, "ok calm down sugartits" that may break a smile out on her face (either that or utter rage) and difuse the situation leading to reconciliation BUT that would certainly not be appropriate term to use if you were arguing with someone you knew far less well.

Suarez has played in Europe for 4 or 5 years now, that term would not be accepted anywhere he has played(except Blatters house when referring to his staff) , except maybe in close company. I'm guessing they are not chums and thus wholly inappropriate to use it.

I mentioned somewhere before that ignorance is no defence but it may be a mitigating factor if/when the punishment is handed down....4 game ban IMO.
_________________________________

Stop taking translations so literally. The word "Putain" in French means whöre, and it is perfectly normal here to go around shouting it like we would "crap".

Different languages have different tolerations of different things, so translating it word for word is very naive of you.

I'm talking as a fluent speaker of French and English here, working in a very multilingual environment.

Well that's it then. Suarez is off the hook

What about the context in which it was said? Hhmmm?
Saying it to a player who you are clearly trying to wind up to gain a tactical advantage, over and over and over, is different to if he was saying it to his bestest best buddy!
Even then would it not be a derogatory term, saying your friend is a "small black man"? Why are you inferring such a thing to begin with?
Doesn't that open up a whole other can of worms? Why are Latin countries still using this sort of term in a supposedly "affectionate" way?

Please don't buy into the "in my country it means this..." crap. He was saying it to a French man living in England, who probably doesn't speak Spanish. He knew what he was saying, and he definately wasn't inferring to Evra as "my old buddy, my old pal".

The proof for me has to be 100% undeniable. Because lets face facts if it isnt there will be no charge against Evra because there being no evidence for Suarez saying it doesnt mean it wasnt said. The exact same methodology should be applied the other way around. Unless it can be proven beyond doubt that there was racist abuse then the case should be dropped.

Hello Hello

Just a question, have you lived outside of a country where your native language is spoken? Can you speak more than one language?