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Suarez still ‘upset’ over Evra racism decision

Carl Markham

18:25 14/10/2014

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has accepted responsibility for most of his past misdemeanours but is still "upset" over his punishment for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

The 27-year-old is set to make his competitive comeback from a four-month worldwide ban next week in El Clasico against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, which was imposed after he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup.

While he accepts his current suspension, and the 10-game ban imposed for a similar incident involving Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic were his own fault, he is still unhappy over how his argument with Evra in October 2011 was dealt with.

"It is good to accept that you have made a mistake and that's what I did," he told his club's official website fcbarcelona.com in reference to the Chiellini bite.

"I left it a few days because you have to remember that I'm only human and sometimes it's hard to face the truth.

"I found it hard to take in and to realise what I had done. Those were days when I didn't want to know about it.

"I just wanted to be with my wife and children, who supported me through that time.

"I didn't want to listen to anybody, or speak to anybody. I didn't want to accept it. When I say I'm sorry it's because I regret something. Being sorry implies regret.

"But they have also sometimes judged me on things that aren't true, such as the racism thing. I was accused without evidence and that's what grieved me the most.

"The others were actions when it was me who did wrong. I accepted that and begged forgiveness, but the racism thing, when I was accused without evidence, that did upset me."

Suarez has been allowed to play in friendlies during his ban after successfully appealing against an original ruling which prevented him from being involved in any football-related activity.

On Monday he scored twice for Uruguay in a 3-0 win over Oman but admits he cannot wait to end his competitive exile.

"The first two months were the hardest because I didn't feel like a footballer. That was the worst part," he added.

"It is always good to accept your mistakes but what angered me most was not feeling like a professional, not feeling like another worker, like other footballers do. That's what hurt me the most."

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