LUIS SUAREZ last night issued a public apology for the race row with Patrice Evra as Liverpool FC begin efforts to restore their battered reputation.

Liverpool FC are pressing for urgent talks with the Football Association for an inquiry into how such disciplinary cases are handled in the future, believing the independent regulatory committee that dealt with the matter to be fundamentally flawed.

Luis Suarez remains insistent he is not a racist despite reluctantly accepting an eight-match ban for using the word ‘negro’ – in Spanish, rather than the English variant – towards Manchester United defender Evra during an altercation at Anfield on October 15.

The Uruguayan, who began his suspension against Manchester City on Tuesday night, has apologised for any offence caused by using the term, but maintains he said it only once rather than the seven times the 115-page report suggests.

But Luis Suarez fell short of apologising directly to Evra in his statement, which read: “I admitted to the Commission that I said a word in Spanish once, and only once, and I told the panel members that I will not use it again on a football pitch in England.

“I never, ever used this word in a derogatory way and if it offends anyone then I want to apologise for that.”

Liverpool, who have struck a more conciliatory tone in recent days, believe the issue is one of cultural ignorance from Suarez rather than any racial malice towards Evra, who even states in the FA’s report that he does not regard the forward to be racist.

And while club owner John W Henry and chairman Tom Werner are deeply unhappy with the disciplinary procedures, there is an acceptance among the Anfield ranks that they themselves made mistakes during the saga which at the very least has indicated naivety when dealing with the FA – and a possible failure to educate Suarez of what is acceptable to say in England.