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Patrice Evra says that he does not hate Luis Suarez despite the death threats he's suffered after accusing the attacker of racism in 2011.
Evra, who plays for Manchester United, took on Liverpool's Uruguayan star in a match at Anfield in October of the same year.
The 38-year-old Frenchman announced that he was retiring from the game last week and revealed that he did not know enough about Suarez to make such judgments.
"I've received a lot of death letters," Evra told The Daily Mail. "For months, I had a safety car parked in front of my house at Alderley Edge 24 hours a day.
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"It was not easy for my family, but I grew up on tough streets in Les Ulis, so it was normal. But maybe for another person, it was crazy. Even my brother said, "Pay attention."
Suarez finally is seen to impose an eight-match ban and a fine of £ 40,000 after the FA has found him guilty of improper conduct for using abusive language, but Evra remains respectful of his abilities in as a footballer.
"I do not know if Suarez is a racist. I do not know his family. I do not know his background.
"But racism has been so important for so many years and that day there have been racist abuses. So when we went to the hearing, they listened to me because I said that I did not want them to punish him, and I did not know him well enough to say that he was a racist, but used this racist word.
"I do not hate him. I never hated it. I wanted to hit him at that time, but for me, hating someone, that's impossible. I do not have hatred in my heart. I can react but hate is a strong word for me.
"When I was asked to choose a team of my best players, I named Suarez as one of my XI. He was the best striker at that time.
"Why should not I recognize his talent even if he's not a good person? I do not even know if he is a good person. We had an episode.
"At that time, I would not have gone on vacation with him but I can not hate him."
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