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Suarez is a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club - Fergie

Luis Suarez snubbed Patrice Evra's offer of a handshake © PA Photos

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Sir Alex Ferguson delivered a scathing assessment of Luis Suarez's apparent refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra, insisting the Uruguayan should never play for Liverpool again.

Manchester United edged Saturday's match 2-1 thanks to a brace from Wayne Rooney, but the headlines were created by Suarez who appeared to bypass Evra when taking part in the pre-match handshake. It was the first time the pair had come face-to-face since the Liverpool man was banned for eight matches after being found guilty of racially abusing his United counterpart.

The incident led to a heated atmosphere at Old Trafford, with Evra almost injuring team-mate Rio Ferdinand inside the first 30 seconds in an attempted challenge on Suarez. The United defender also celebrated directly in front of the Uruguayan at the final whistle, but Ferguson was stunned by Suarez's part in the afternoon's events.

"I couldn't believe, I just could not believe it," Ferguson told Sky Sports. "Patrice told me this morning, 'I'm going to shake his hand, I've nothing to be ashamed of.' But then Suarez refuses. He's a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club.

"Some players should not be allowed to play for Liverpool again, the history that club's got, and he does that. In a situation like today he could have caused a riot.

"I was really disappointed in that guy, it was terrible what he did. It created tension, you saw the referee, he didn't know what to do about it. It caught him off guard.

"It was a terrible start to the game and a terrible atmosphere it created."

Ferguson was asked if the traditional Premier League pre-match handshake should be discarded in order to avoid such moments. Suarez's refusal to shake hands mirrored a previous incident that saw Wayne Bridge do likewise to John Terry, but Ferguson insisted the real issue was to take the hardest stance possible against racism.

"The Premier League started that (the handshake) and it's never been a problem with regard to racism. It's never been a problem," said the United boss.

"Racism is an important issue. Football has come a long way from the days of John Barnes having bananas thrown at him. We can't go back, we have to go forward and ban it altogether."

Evra's post-match celebrations, aimed at the United fans but in the direct vicinity of Suarez, could also be deemed potentially inciting behaviour. Ferguson claimed he did not see Evra's actions, but when informed of the incident the Scot replied: "He shouldn't have done that."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.