Liverpool forced to apologise for video of racist incident
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Liverpool apologise for repeating video of alleged racist incident on their website
Liverpool have been forced to issue an apology after an embarrassing mistake led to video footage of an alleged racist gesture by a fan being broadcast on their official website.
Highlights of Saturday’s FA Cup win over Manchester United were available to watch on Monday afternoon, but they contained a clip of the alleged gesture, for which a 59-year-old man was arrested at the weekend.
Liverpool will issue a life ban to the man if he is found guilty of a racial offence, but admitted that they had erred by allowing the footage to be broadcast.
A spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that footage featuring an alleged incident during the match has mistakenly appeared on the club’s website.
‘This was a mistake, it should not have been included and we are sorry it happened. It was removed immediately when it was brought to our attention.’
Patrice Evra was booed during the game at Anfield, which was the first meeting between the sides since the Luis Suarez affair, and PFA chief Gordon Taylor believes players may be deterred from reporting racist abuse after witnessing his treatment.
Taylor said: ‘The booing of Evra was unwelcome. For someone to be booed for reporting racist comments is not something we want to see happen.
Mistake: Footage was shown on the club's website
‘Black players may be worried about reporting such things if there is going to be a backlash like this.’
Liverpool face Wolves on Tuesday night and the main focus of attention at Molineux will be Andy Carroll, following reports about a proposed swap involving him and Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez.
A deal would have been implausible, given that Tevez’s £225,000-per-week wages would have shattered Liverpool’s pay structure, but a phone conversation took place between Liverpool’s director of football Damien Comolli and City’s football administrator Brian Marwood.
But Dalglish said: ‘Andy has said he is very happy here. He doesn’t regret coming here and that is the best reference you can get.’
City boss Roberto Mancini, whose side face Everton on Tuesday night, says he was unaware that a conversation between Comolli and Marwood had taken place but dismissed the idea of the deal taking place anyway.
Insistent: Dalglish rubbished reports of Carroll leaving Liverpool
‘Carroll is a good player, he is young and strong,’ said Mancini. ‘There was no phone call to me. I don’t know if Brian Marwood was involved.’
Tevez has been absent since returning to Argentina without permission in December. With hopes of a move to AC Milan still in the balance, Tevez’s representative Kia Joorabchian has blamed Mancini for creating ‘an impossible situation’ for the player at City.
It brought a bemused response from the Italian on Monday. ‘I think it is very strange,’ said Mancini. ‘He always said he wanted to leave Manchester and be closer to his family. He doesn’t have any problem with me. I’ve always had a good relationship with him, even after Munich. He should have been back two months ago. I think that everybody should answer for his behaviour, always.
Running out of time: A deal for Carlos Tevez is looking increasingly unlikely
‘These are the rules. If one player wants to go to another club, it’s an option for the player. But maybe for the club it’s a big problem.’
Mancini has captain Vincent Kompany back from a four-match ban, having lost four of his five games against David Moyes’ Everton.
Mario Balotelli remains suspended, however, and the City boss believes his team have been treated harshly by referees and the FA.
‘Six red cards this season, we are like Wimbledon!’ he said. ‘My players never want to hurt other players, that is not in their minds.’