Brighton boss Gus Poyet stands by his comments defending Liverpool striker Luis Suarez over his race row with Manchester United fullback Patrice Evra. Poyet maintains that Suarez is not the type of person to discriminate against others.

He told Sky Sports News: "If you are racist, you are against someone who is not like you. Because you are from another country, another continent, or because of the colour of your skin, for me it's the same. And in football they do it to make us react, to go crazy, so we deal with that.

"Patrice Evra should deal with that. Suarez is a lovely guy, and 100 per cent not a racist. I have texted him to support him and to say I'm available if he needs me."