Terry: Suspended

I didnt say he did hate black people. I'm just saying he used a word he knew was offensive to Evra on the grounds of race.

He admitted saying the word, but played dumb that he didnt know it was offensive in Europe (even though in mine, and obviously the judge's opinion, he did) & so was banned for it.

Judge?

It's viewed as more offensive in the Netherlands than it is in Britain. Spain is irrelevant; Suarez has never lived there.

There is a clear difference between the two.

Suarez used the language in an abusive manner. However (wrongly IMO) Terry was exonerated in the magistrates court that he meant to abuse Ferdinand and instead used the language without thinking. Mostly because of the testimony from Ashley Cole.

Well you said europe.

Suarez probably doesn't hate black people in the same way a man doesn't hate a dog. But he clearly used the word as a slur showing that he thinks that they're inferior to him in the same way that a man thinks a dog is inferior to him.

Nasty piece of work is Suarez.

Guys the word can be offensive!!!

I live in Spain and my friends husband (who is Spanish white) went mental on some guys because they called his wife (Black American) Negra when she entered the tube one time, they didn't know they were together so were chatting about her!
He translated 'negra' in that context as n****r.

So depending on what context you say it in, it could be seen as racist and derogatory.

RuiCostaJr

And he was found innocent in a court of law

A court of law that has to prove a burden of evidence that becomes difficult in these situations. If it was at the civil level then it'd be more appropriate in some ways.

The argument that the word that Suarez described Evra using isn't as bad because it is a standard word in Spanish is a stupid argument. Firstly, as others have said, he's lived in Europe for a few years now and should be aware of what he can and cannot say. Secondly, and more to the point, Terry is alleged to have called Ferdinand a 'black ' - which is also a word that does have an actual meaning rather than just being a useless obscenity. The words used by both players could refer to things in a way that is not offensive, but in the vast majority of situations people would find it offensive so I can't understand why a) people are complaining that Suarez' punishment should have been less than Terry's.

And re the whole 'innocent in court' thing, as a law student I can tell you that that's probably due to the standard of proof - courts require the magistrates to believe that Terry was racist 'beyond reasonable doubt' whereas for the FA I think they only require it to be more likely than not to have happened. So it might have been likely that Terry abused Ferdinand, but couldn't be shown beyond all doubt.