Liverpool are urged to alter their stance over guilty Suarez

Striker Suarez was last month found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra in a match on October 15 and banned for eight matches and fined £40,000.

The Football Association published a 115-page report on Saturday listing the reasons behind the judgment of an independent commission, in which they said Suarez had used the words “negro” or “negros” seven times in a two-minute period of the Anfield encounter.

The finding is potentially embarrassing for the Anfield club, who have been unwavering in their support of the 24-year-old Uruguay international.

The Liverpool players wore T-shirts showing their support for Suarez before last month’s game against Wigan the day after he received the ban, a gesture which was heavily criticised at the time, while manager Kenny Dalglish tweeted that fans should not let him walk alone.

But Piara Powar, executive director of Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE), a network of anti-racism groups in the continent, believes it is time for the club to change their stance.

Powar said: “Luis Suarez and Liverpool FC have the right to appeal. However, we would call on the club to think again about their public campaign to dispute the charges and contest the principles involved in the case.

“As a club with a good international standing the vehemence of their campaign is unquestionably causing them reputational harm.”

The FA’s case, according to the report, was that Evra asked Suarez why he had kicked him, to which the forward replied: “Because you are black.”

When Evra challenged him to repeat the answer and said he would “punch him”, Suarez said: “I don’t speak to blacks.”

According to the report, Evra then told Suarez he was going to hit him, to which the Uruguay international replied in Spanish: “Dale, negro, negro, negro.” That translates to: “Okay, blackie, blackie, blackie.”

Liverpool issued a statement saying they would take “the necessary amount of time to read, digest and properly consider the contents” of the judgment before deciding on their next move.

Liverpool have been given until January 13 to respond, meaning Suarez will be free to play in their next three games, including their Carling Cup semi-final, first leg trip to Manchester City on January 11.

The report produced by the independent regulatory commission about the events at Anfield received expert evidence as to the use of the word “negro” in Uruguay. While the word can be used as a noun to address people in a non-offensive way, it can also carry negative connotations. The experts considered that if Suarez said the things Evra alleged, they would be considered racially offensive in Uruguay.

The reports said that while Evra was a credible, consistent witness, Suarez was found to be unreliable in relation to matters of critical importance.

The commission found Suarez’s explanation that the use of the words was conciliatory and friendly was “unsustainable” and “incredible”.

This undermined the credibility of his evidence.