What did the Groundsman Say to Set Off Patrice Evra?

“Idiot” or “immigrant”? Which is the worse insult?

It all depends on who you ask.

Why does it matter? Because when you’re talking about justification for a fight, one is a racial insult, and one is just some gardener spouting obscenities at the guys on his grass.

“It is understood that the United players warming down with Evra heard the words “you’re just a f***ing immigrant” said to the French left-back. Chelsea’s position is that the ground staff were misheard and the actual words used were ‘you’re just a f***ing idiot’.”

As is to be expected, Manchester United is going with “immigrant” and playing the race card. (Patrice Evra is French, but was born in Senegal.)

United’s players insisted from the start that a racist comment was the cause of the fracas. Sources close to Evra asserted this early on Sunday and that position was supported by the striker Carlos Tevez, who said he had “never seen anything like this in my two years in England”.

Chelsea, on the other hand, are claiming the offending word was “idiot,” which is, of course, race-neutral and equal-opportunity offensive.

“My understanding is it is not a racist issue,” said [Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck.] “As far as we are concerned it is handbags at 10 paces. It is now a matter for the FA and their investigation. It has gone beyond the mediation stage as far as the clubs are concerned.

“We have nothing more to say about it.”

Whatever else comes out of this, I’m thinking the resulting inquiry will tell us one thing for sure: Which word you don’t want to say to Patrice Evra.

(Previous Offside posts on this incident are here and here.)

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Category: English Premier League, World Football