Gustavo Poyet: 'I back Luis Suarez to the death'

Gustavo Poyet has leapt to the defence of his fellow Uruguayan Luis Suarez, who has been banned for eight matches for racially abusing Patrice Evra.

The Brighton & Hove Albion manager has described the suspension as "shocking" and has claimed that Suarez has suffered from cultural differences between England and Uruguay.

"The ban is incredible, shocking, it's disproportionate. I back Luis to death," Poyet told Ultimas Noticias. "Things have happened before with Evra. He is not a saint. He is a controversial player.

"I don't know in which world we are going to live in from now on people. People will accuse each other of anything.

"Suarez just arrived [in the Premier League] and there are things that he has to learn when you are in another country because they might be normal in your country but perhaps they are not considered that way in other parts of the world."

Liverpool and Suarez have 14 days to decide whether or not they will challenge the ban.