Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, has made his first contribution to the debate on the re-emergence of racism in football, suggesting four days before Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez face each other again at Old Trafford that he does believe the issue is returning to the game.
With the Football Association expecting Manchester United and Liverpool to abide by a commitment not to inflame tensions before the sides meet again on Saturday lunchtime, Ferguson said that the re-emergence of the prejudice which beset the game 20 years ago has mystified him.
"I don't understand at all where it's coming from, to be honest with you, I don't understand it at all,'' Ferguson said. "This is a moment where we have to take stock and we should do something about it if it's surfacing again, and be really hard and firm on any form or shape of racism. There have been a couple of examples recently which is not good. In 2012, you can't believe it. It was obvious maybe 20 years ago and the improvements have been for everyone to see.''
The manager's comments came on the day that two teenagers who racially abused the Newcastle United striker Sammy Ameobi on Twitter were given final warnings by police. There is evidence that social networking sites have been a vehicle for racist abuse following allegations against Suarez and Chelsea's John Terry. But Ferguson's words appear to reflect Suarez's ban for the use of the word "negro'' against United defender Evra and they will infuriate the Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, who has never accepted the verdict of an FA-appointed independent regulatory commission.
Dalglish first risked re-igniting the row with United on Monday night, when he said that Suarez should never have been banned, a comment which the FA does not consider to have been helpful. Ferguson's own contribution was made at around the same time, in an interview with CNN at the Laureus World Sports awards in London on Monday evening.