"I always felt calm": Liverpool star Robert Firmino opens up on Mason Holgate racism claim
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Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has revealed he "always felt calm" over the allegations that he racially abused Everton defender Mason Holgate.
The pair clashed in January's FA Cup Merseyside derby and the Toffees defender made the complaint shortly after.
A Mirror Football investigation at the time revealed that Holgate told referee Bobby Madley and team-mates that Firmino had called him "a n*****".
Madley included the incident in his match report but the FA cleared the Brazilian of the charges 47 days later.
(Image: Action Images via Reuters)
(Image: PA Wire)
An official statement by the Football Association read: "Having considered all of the available evidence, we consider it is not sufficient to raise a charge against Firmino.
"However, we are completely satisfied that the allegation was made in absolute good faith by Holgate and that there is no suggestion of this being an intentionally false or malicious allegation."
(Image: AFP)
(Image: AFP)
Now a month on, Reds' ace Firmino has opened up on the investigation in a wide-ranging interview with GOAL.
"I always felt calm about it [the allegations] because I knew I had not said what they were accusing me of," he said.
"I have suffered racial prejudice and I know how painful it is. People need to take this issue more seriously and engage in this fight against racism."