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Suarez ban 'ridiculously harsh' - Ian Wright »
Ian Wright admits the potential exists for black players to play the blame game after the FA's handling of the Suarez-Evra case © Getty Images Enlarge
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has blamed the FA for creating the ill feeling currently surrounding the Luis Suarez race row, insisting the governing body has encouraged any player of colour to aim accusations at rival players.
Wright, in his regular column for the Sun, made it clear that - whilst no evidence is forthcoming - he cannot approve the guilty verdict issued to Suarez, who has been banned for eight games. Indeed, using the scarce facts available to him, Wright labels the current punishment "ridiculously harsh".
The former England man questions why the FA did not release documentation alongside the announcement of Suarez's punishment, detailing the evidence for its decision.
Liverpool have reacted angrily first via a statement, and then by wearing provocative t-shirts supporting their player, while the fans sang his name relentlessly during the 0-0 draw at Wigan. Wright can see a dangerous siege mentality building, and he is convinced the FA's current actions have made it easy for other players to play the blame game.
"When the Luis Suarez race row took two months to reach a conclusion, the last thing I expected as the verdict came was another can of worms to burst open," Wright said. "What a mess it has become. Yet what an avoidable one it could have been had things been handled differently.
"If Suarez is bang to rights then, yes, of course he should face a lengthy ban. Yet the way the Independent Disciplinary Commission - and subsequent FA statement - went about things has in many ways muddied the waters even more.
"All we know so far is that Evra accused the Liverpool forward of racial abuse and the verdict has been reached on the back of that. Clearly you would imagine there must be more to it than that - so why now does everyone have to wait until the written judgement is delivered for a full explanation?
"Any Merseyside calls of a witch-hunt would have been nipped in the bud. Instead, given the lack of public evidence regarding the exact details of the case, there is still a huge sense of mystery. Surely it would have made more sense for the written proof, which everyone is waiting for, to have been published on the day of the verdict.
"Now all we've got is another bout of name calling from Liverpool to the FA and it's not doing anybody any favours."
Offering his views on Suarez, as things stand, Wright admits he can only side with the Liverpool player, because the FA has given him no evidence on which to judge against him.
"As I said, if Suarez is guilty as charged, then some could say he is lucky to have escaped with the suspension he has. But, at the moment, I have to say I think the punishment - on all public evidence - is ridiculously harsh because it was based only on what Patrice said he was called.
"All Tuesday's decision has done is give fuel to the sceptics who reckon the race card has been played here - and it's so stupid, so easily avoided.
"Let's get one thing straight immediately. I am not calling Evra a liar, far from it, because something obviously went on. But as it is, this could be said to have opened the way for any black player who might have an axe to grind to accuse others in a similar way - and that sets a very dangerous precedent indeed. It has paved the way for any player to accuse another of anything."
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