2014 WORLD CUP: Óscar Tabárez jumps to the defence of Luis Suárez

Posted by Guardian News | 10 years ago | 3,954 times



• Embattled coach steps down from Fifa study group in protest
• Uruguayan whips up siege mentality before Colombia match

 

Óscar Tabárez has accused Fifa of making Luis Suárez a “scapegoat” and branded the four-month ban handed down to the Liverpool striker as media driven and wildly excessive. The Uruguay manager himself is to resign his position from the governing body’s technical study group in protest at the severity of the sanction.

The 67-year-old used his pre-match media briefing at the Maracanã on the eve of his country’s last-16 tie against Colombia on Saturday solely to deliver a 12-minute lecture criticising the decision of the Fifa disciplinary committee and, in the process, to whip up the siege mentality within his depleted squad. Uruguayan journalists applauded Tabárez from the stage after he had given his statement – he did not take questions – as he concluded by reminding Suárez, now back at his home in Solymar with his family, he was “not alone”.

“We have the right to express our opinions and I am coach of the Uruguay team at this World Cup, a coach who was made in Uruguayan football,” said Tabárez, who made play of a managerial career that has extended for over 30 years, as well as his previous experience as a teacher.

“I’ve defended fair play all my life and Unesco have declared me a champion in sport. We saw images after Tuesday’s match [against Italy in Natal] and saw there may be something in it and that there was the possibility of punishing the participants in that action, both Giorgio Chiellini and Luis Suárez.

“I don’t deny that we were waiting a punishment [on Suárez] but we never imagined the severity of that sanction. It is a decision which, obviously, was focused on the opinions of the media: a media who immediately drew their conclusions and treated it like it was the only relevant theme in the post-match press conference. I don’t know what their nationality was but they all spoke English.

“They concentrated on Luis’ history, on things that happened in the past. Things for which he was sanctioned, punishments he served. We all know where the power lies – in the hands of the organisers but I will not discuss that. But that doesn’t mean we have to accept the indiscriminate nature of that power.

“To set a good example, you don’t need to be so excessive. I have been a teacher in my life and I know the theory of the scapegoat. Where you give a punishment to someone who commits a transgression – not a crime – so that the whole group know what is good, what is bad, what is wrong, what is right.

“I agree with the principle but there is a danger proceeding this way. We forget the scapegoat is a person who has rights. In this case Luis Suárez, who has made significant contributions to football on the pitch. Tournaments like this depend upon the kind of brilliance he provides.

“I’m not justifying anything and I don’t think he should not be punished. But with this punishment, who wins? Who loses? Who has benefited? Who is harmed? And who ends up getting things their way? You have to give someone who makes a mistake a chance. This is why I don’t agree with the theory of a scapegoat. We know the mistakes Luis has made but there’s another side to this person. The severity was excessive.”

The manager’s criticisms appeared to surprise the Fifa delegates present at the venue. Tabárez proceeded to indicate he would be formally stepping down from his duties with the governing body, for whom he has operated on technical study groups at World Cups and youth football tournaments, because “in the way they sanctioned Luis they showed values and standards very different to my own”.

“To Luis Suárez who we know better than anyone else, you will never be alone,” he added. “To the fans, who are moved by the severity of this punishment: I want to let them know that we, too, are hurting, but we desire more than ever to do well in this tournament.” That prompted a loud round of applause from the Uruguayan journalists in the media theatre.

His team’s ability to conjure a performance without Suárez – Diego Forlán is expected to deputise for the Liverpool striker – will be sorely tested by Colombia, a team who have dazzled in Brazil to date.

The swashbuckling demolition of Japan in Cuiaba’s Arena Pantanal completed a third victory in 11 days – as many as they had managed in their previous four World Cup appearances – and, in James Rodríguez, the playmaker who cost AS Monaco a little under £40m last summer, they have one of the tournament’s brightest attacking talents.

He has scored in each of his last five appearances for his country. Just imagine how potent they would feel had Rodríguez’s club-mate, the £50m striker Radamel Falcao – who had scored a Colombian record nine goals in qualifying – recovered from a knee injury to participate.

The goalscoring mantle has been taken up by Jackson Martínez, a striker who has revelled at Porto to the tune of 60 goals in 89 starts since joining from the Mexican side Chiapas. The 28-year-old cost the Portuguese £6.5m though the £33m buyout clause in his contract at the Estádio do Dragão may well be triggered this summer as clubs from Atlético Madrid to Arsenal monitor his progress. “It is not about me: we are just focused and together as a team,” said Martínez. “I will not think about my future until after the World Cup. But I am happy with my work so far but we are together as a team and that is very important for us.“I believe Colombia are superior to Uruguay but we need to show that on the pitch. It will be a big rivalry and now they will increase their battle to beat us. Uruguay is a very difficult opponent and we will have to be concentrated and focused if we are to reach the quarter-finals.

“We know Uruguay’s strengths and they know about us, so there will be little surprise or advantage for either team. There is no doubt this World Cup is about the South American teams – it has a South American flavour – and I am convinced that it will have a South American champion.

“The conditions, the atmosphere... everything suits us. This is an open tournament, there are goals and exciting moments. But we believe that we can progress.”


Source: The Guardian

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