Suarez: Bad things in the past

Luis Suarez has spoken to the British Press about biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup ahead of his Barcelona debut in El Clasico.

Suarez was banned for four months for the incident with the Italy defender and his suspension has now expired, freeing the Uruguay international to make his first Barca appearance, against Real Madrid.

Barca Coach Luis Enrique has confirmed Suarez will play some part in the fixture but declined to say to what extent, or if Suarez would start or come off the bench.

British publication the Guardian spoke with Suarez and asked him about the bite, the repeated instances of biting, and the racial abuse row with Patrice Evra during his Liverpool career.

“I think all the bad things I have been through are in the past,” Suarez said.

“I believe I am on the right path now, dealing with the people who can help me, the right kind of people.

“Everyone has different ways of defending themselves. In my case, the pressure and tension came out in that way.

“There are other players who react by breaking someone’s leg, or smashing someone’s nose across their face.

“What happened with Chiellini is seen as worse. I understand why biting is seen so badly.”

Suarez was also overheard complaining about the line of questioning from the reporter in a video portion of the interview that was featured on the Guardian website.

On the subject of the abuse of Evra, for which Suarez was banned by the FA for eight games, he repeated past denials of racially abusing the then-Manchester United defender.

“I know I was wrong with the biting and the diving but I was accused of racism without any proof,” he insisted.

“There were lots of cameras, but no evidence. It hurts me the most that it was my word against theirs.

“Every culture has its way of expressing itself, and that’s a word people in Uruguay use all the time, whether somebody’s black or not black.

“It gets used a lot without those connotations, and that’s why it is completely different to how it is expressed in England, no?

“I just said: ‘Why, negro?’ and it was just like asking: ‘Why?’ These are things that footballers say, that happen all the time.”

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