Roberto Firmino breaks silence on Mason Holgate incident after Liverpool striker is cleared of racist abuse

The Liverpool striker was accused of using racially abusive language towards the Everton defender during the FA Cup third round clash in February, but the FA will take no further action

Roberto Firmino has spoken about his incident with Mason Holgate for the first time (Getty)

Roberto Firmino has broken his silence one the incident with Everton defender Mason Holgate that resulted in the Liverpool forward being accused of making a racially abusive comment during last month’s Merseyside derby, claiming that he “did not say the word or variation of the word” that has been reported.

The Brazilian also added that he has been the victim of racist abuse in the past, and from his own experience of how “damaging and hurtful” that such comments can be, he would never do the same to another person.

The Football Association confirmed on Wednesday that Firmino will not face any action over the incident due to the evidence gather being “not sufficient” of meeting a charge for discriminatory conduct.

Having remained silent on the matter while the investigation took place, Firmino released a full statement following the conclusion of the investigation – which also confirmed the FA’s belief that Holgate’s allegation was made in “absolute good faith” with no intention of being intentionally false.

“As difficult as it has been to remain publicly silent, given the serious and damaging nature of what it was claimed I said during the game, I did so to demonstrate my respect for the process and to allow the issue to be investigated in the most thorough way,” Firmino said.

“It is critical for football that tackling racism and all forms of discrimination is taken extremely seriously. As someone who has experienced racist abuse during my life, I know how damaging and hurtful it can be.

“Now the process is concluded, I would like to place on record, for the avoidance of any doubt, I did not say the word, or a variation of the word, that was claimed and subsequently reported in the media. I did not use any language that referenced race. I did not - and would never - reference a person's skin colour or culture, by means of insult, during a dispute or an argument.

“There is no place for discrimination on a football pitch, or anywhere else in life for that matter.

“I am pleased after exhaustive reviews of all the evidence, in this specific incident, the matter is resolved.”

The incident occurred during the FA Cup third round tie between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield on 5 January, and flashed up after Holgate pushed Firmino towards the edge of the pitch – forcing him to jump into the stands and putting him at risk of injury. The Brazilian reacted angrily, charging towards Holgate and pushing him, which triggered the flashpoint between the two rival teams.