Luis Suarez told to 'move on' from Patrice Evra controversy

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by Crunch Sports Staff

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Luis Suarez (credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been urged by manager Brendan Rodgers to "move on" from last season's Patrice Evra controversy and concentrate on his football.

Suarez was booed every time he touched the ball for Uruguay during the Olympic defeat to Great Britain at the Millennium Stadium in midweek and later blasted British fans for their treatment of him.

The forward insisted he was unaffected by the reception he received from the home fans, but said their decision to boo him during the pre-match national anthems showed "a total lack of respect".

Suarez was given an eight-match ban last season for racially abusing Manchester United defender Evra, and the controversy was re-ignited in February when he refused to shake hands with the Frenchman during a Premier League clash between the two sides at Old Trafford.

Just last month, Suarez reopened the racism row by claiming the ban he received was due to United's "political power".

Liverpool and Uruguay defender Sebastian Coates believes the abuse his compatriot receives needs to stop, and Rodgers believes the forward and the footballing public need to move on from last season's events.

"The first point is that opposition fans only give people stick because they're good players," he told The Guardian.

"You don't see bad ones getting it. Luis probably still feels a little bit of injustice about last season, but for me the message is that we have to move on. We have to move forward.

"What's happened has happened and let's let it go now, however hard it is. We want to be winning games and doing our best for the football club."

Uruguay's early elimination from the Olympics means Suarez and Coates are available for the Reds earlier than expected.

And Rodgers added: "It will be fantastic to have Luis coming back and he is already fighting fit. He will have a couple of days off and join up with us after the weekend.

"He's been playing games, so he will already be up to a decent level of fitness, maybe even higher really, because he's had more competitive games. I'm really looking forward to working with him."

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