Fergie supports Suarez ban

Sir Alex Ferguson has backed the FA for banning Luis Suarez for eight matches.

The Manchester United boss said the FA made the correct decision in banning the Liverpool striker for racially abusing Patrice Evra.

Since the decision on Tuesday, which also saw the Uruguayan landed with a £40,000 fine, Liverpool have supported their player, issuing a number of statements while also allowing his team-mates and manager, Kenny Dalglish, to wear T-shirts with Suarez’s image before Wednesday’s 0-0 draw against Wigan.

Ferguson, 69, has reiterated his backing for Evra over the incident and believes the issue should not be about club ties, and that Liverpool must now accept the FA’s conclusion and not dwell on the verdict.

“Our support of Patrice was obvious right from the word go and that’s still the same,” he told The Guardian.

“The matter is over and I think we’re satisfied that they (the FA’s independent commission) found the right decision.”

“This wasn’t about Manchester United and Liverpool at all. It was nothing to do with that. This was an individual situation where one person was racially abused.”

Ferguson also discussed an incident involving Evra in 2008, in which the French full-back came to blows with Chelsea ground staff at Stamford Bridge after an alleged racist taunt.

The former Monaco full-back received a four-game suspension for the incident, and while the United boss said he was unable to understand the English football governing body’s decision at the time, there was no other choice but to accept their ruling.

“Patrice got that suspension for the incident down at Chelsea when no one was there, just a groundsman and our fitness coach,” he said.

“He got a four-match ban and we had to wait two weeks for the evidence to come through.”

“We were quite astounded at that. A four-match ban? We thought it was well over the top for a trivial incident. But it happened and there’s nothing you can do about it, you know.”