Reds accept Suarez ban

Liverpool said Tuesday they had accepted Luis Suarez's eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra, seeking to draw a line under the affair while maintaining their player's innocence.
Liverpool had lashed out at Suarez's ban and £40,000 fine, but had stopped short of launching an appeal until the full written ruling of a disciplinary panel was released last weekend.
"Liverpool FC have this afternoon informed The FA that they will not be appealing the decision of an Independent Regulatory Commission in relation to the recently proven misconduct charge against Luis Suarez," the FA said.
In the 115-page written ruling from the case released last Saturday, the FA panel said Suarez had given "unreliable" and "inconsistent" evidence during the hearing, where elements of his testimony were "incredible."
A Liverpool statement released on Tuesday maintained that the case against Suarez remained "highly subjective" and was "based on an accusation that was ultimately unsubstantiated."
However the club said it now wished to draw a line under the affair despite disagreeing with the verdict.
"There are ultimately larger issues than whether or not Luis Suarez has been treated fairly by the Football Association in this matter," it said.
"The issue of race in sports, as in other industries, has a very poor history. Far too often, and in far too many countries, the issues of racism and discrimination have been covered over or ignored."
"Continuing a fight for justice in this particular case beyond today would only obscure the fact that the Club wholeheartedly supports the efforts of the Football Association, the Football League and the Premier League to put an end to any form of racism in English football."