Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has told the Daily Mail exactly how he saw the Luis Suarez – Patrice Evra non-handshake and his views completely concur with what we wrote on this site about the affair.
Editorial: Our final word on the Suarez saga
Johnson also spoke about how the comments by Paul McGrath were racist.
On the non-handshake at Old Trafford, Johnson said
“Evra was clever. I’m not being funny – but if I wanted to shake your hand I would stick it right out in front of me like that. But if my hand is down here, almost by my side, then it’s because I really don’t want to shake your hand.”
“Luis didn’t shake his hand because Evra’s hand was down there. What else is Luis supposed to do? Would you go to shake someone’s hand if their hand is way down there by their side? Course not. But then, because Luis didn’t do it, Evra has pulled him back by his arm as he walked on, as if to say to everybody: “Look, I wanted to shake his hand and he didn’t…”
“He’s following Luis with his eyes as if to say: “Right he’s gone, he’s gone (past me) so I’ll pull him back now…” Evra probably stayed up all night thinking about how to do that. The whole thing was ridiculous.”
Speaking about Paul McGrath’s comments after the t-shirt’s in support of Suarez against Wigan, JOhnson said:
“The McGrath thing … that’s actually racist. Saying what he said is racist. He is only saying that to me because I was the only black lad wearing the T-shirt. He’s targeting me because of my colour.”
“Listen, I’m my own man. If I have something I want to say or do then I will do it. The reason I wore the T-shirt is because I know 100 per cent Luis Suarez is not racist. He is one of the lads in the team that I get on with best of all at the club.”
Speaking about the case itself, and how Suarez was portrayed completely as the villain, Johnson said:
“The evidence was Luis’s word against Evra’s. I’m not saying Evra is lying but it’s his word against Luis’s, isn’t it? So how did it all turn out to be so strong in Evra’s favour? I work with the lad every day. There is no way he said that.”
“With the media these days and the way it was going to be blown up, maybe the T-shirts thing wasn’t the right thing to do. How should I say this? We wore them to show our support for Luis. It wasn’t to send a message to everyone else. It was just for him.”
Former Liverpool midfielder Thomas Ince tweeted @glen_johnson “Great interview mate”.
Source: Daily Mail
Fan Comments