Roberto Firmino

[Tatterdemalion]

I`m sure you´re right.....but how do you racially abuse someone of the same colour? Call him an English cunt??

Different 'race'. It is racism afterall. I'm white (Caucasian) tho' so can't say I know much.

[Kenneth]

There is something odd about the whole situation. As I see it there are 3 options:
1. Firmino racially abused Holgate in English/Portuguese
2. Holgate misheard or misinterpreted something that Firmino said
3. Holgate made it up in an attempt to get out of a booking/sending off

The implications of these would be:
1a) Firmino gets sent off because the referee is right by it and hears it. - Didn't happen can be ruled out.
1b) The referee hears it and does nothing. - Seems very unlikely.
1c) The referee hears it but does not understand it because it is in Portuguese, but Holgate does understand, Ref can't send him off and subsequent outcome depends on whether referee or anyone else heard and can remember what was said or if the cameras picked it up - Possible but I imagine it is unlikely Holgate understands Portuguese, or that other players can remember exactly what was said in a language that they don't understand.
1d) The referee doesn't hear/understand it but other players nearby do - meaning the referee can't send him off but there is evidence from other players or TV cameras which would be enough to find Firmino guilty in an FA investigation - Possible but again it seems unlikely that the referee didn't hear it given he was stood between the two of them, more likely that the referee didn't understand, but I also imagine it to be unlikely that any of the other players nearby (Lallana, Kenny, Robertson, Davies) would speak Portuguese.

2a) Holgate mishears something in English - Possible, referees statement and that of players nearby and possibly the TV camera footage should clear this up.
2b) Holgate misinterprets what is Firmino says in Portuguese for something racist - Possible although again it seems unlikely that Holgate speaks Portuguese, unless someone else nearby or TV cameras picked up what was said it seems unlikely that there would be enough to charge Firmino
2c) Holgate doesn't understand what Firmino is saying but assumes it's racial abuse - Seems unlikely that you would assume something you don't understand is racist.

3) This would be a very uncomfortable situation as he would not only be risking damaging Firmino's career and reputation by making such an allegation, but he is undermining all the work done by a lot of people to get racism out of the game. No real implications for this regarding FA charges as there would be no evidence that Firmino racially abused him because he didn't, also unlikely that there would be enough evidence to prove that Holgate made it up. - Possible but I would have to say it should be very unlikely that a professional player would do something like this.

I think a combination of 2C and 3 is the most likely. He heard something that sounded a bit like the n word and pounced on it for his own convenience, thinking it was close enough to get away with.

[Exiled_red]

I think a combination of 2C and 3 is the most likely. He heard something that sounded a bit like the n word and pounced on it for his own convenience, thinking it was close enough to get away with.

I obviously don't want Firmino to have racially abused Holgate, but I don't want to believe that Holgate intentionally lied about the incident, because that would be as bad

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/MirrorFootball/status/949755672975040512[/ame]

[Exiled_red]

https://twitter.com/MirrorFootball/s...55672975040512

Basically backs up what we have all been thinking/saying/assuming

[Tee]

Funny that, must have been a dozen players converged at that incident, plus the ref, and only ****face Holgate heard him say that????? Don’t believe it for a second and would not put it past a scumbag like Holgate making that **** up.

[labourRed]

I hope that is true. If Firmino reiterates what that article says I can't see there being a case. You'd normally swear in your native tongue as we all said during match thread.

[ChesterDave]

There is zero percent chance that is what Firmino said. Ref would have heard it. Other players would have heard it.

[BobTheCharmer]

This is like deja vu. We're all defending him without evidence. For the same reason at this stage we shouldn't be castigating him either. Just have to let it play out. If and it's hopefully irrelevant, he did say it, we would have to sack him. Point blank. The negative side of me says this is Liverpool and we are ****ing jinked, first Phil and possibly this. Typical Liverpool. Regardless it's a shadow we don't need.

[BigChief]

There is zero percent chance that is what Firmino said. Ref would have heard it. Other players would have heard it.

Not a single Everton player reacted or looked shocked despite being as close to Firmino as Holgate. Holgate asked the ref who pointed both hands to his ears to indicate he didn't hear anything.

I hope it's not true and the chances of it being true seem slim at the moment with Holgate's ulterior motive but we'll find out soon enough.

[ChesterDave]

Grand Old Team is convinced. Already constructing the gallows.

I also think they are blissfully ignorant of the irony in being outraged by the alleged racism while liberally using ladyboy as an insult. Pretty certain if a player did that on the pitch it would be a lengthy ban.

[Exiled_red]

Grand Old Team is convinced. Already constructing the gallows.

I also think they are blissfully ignorant of the irony in being outraged by the alleged racism while liberally using ladyboy as an insult. Pretty certain if a player did that on the pitch it would be a lengthy ban.

I think that that is due to the tribal nature of football, a lot of their fans will be insistent that Firmino has racially abused Holgate, while a lot of our fans will be convinced that Holgate is a liar. We are all trying to make judgements without all the facts.

[BobTheCharmer]

Grand Old Team is convinced. Already constructing the gallows.

I also think they are blissfully ignorant of the irony in being outraged by the alleged racism while liberally using ladyboy as an insult. Pretty certain if a player did that on the pitch it would be a lengthy ban.

Here we go, trying to bring other insults into play as if to say but look they are bad also. Two wrongs never make a right. If he's guilty (I have doubts although it's not beyond the realms with a footballer as they aren't the brightest, this one even drove home pissed), he will be hung out to dry.

This is tribal football fan behaviour, they could give no ****s (the majority) what was actually said whether it was racist, they want to see their main rivals suffer. People get outraged for kicks these days. Probably tell a dodgy joke or two themselves down the pub. That's where we are as a society.

[Snigger]

Bobby turns his head and could have said something as they are running towards the touch line before the push, if something was said I imagine it was then when no else was close enough to hear anything. Hope it was a misunderstanding.

[EwarWoo]

Grand Old Team is convinced. Already constructing the gallows.

Which is fair enough. If Solanke said he'd be racially abused in a match wouldn't we believe him?