Uruguay President Backs Liverpool Striker Luis Suarez as PSG Circle

The president of Uruguay has leant his support to beleaguered Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, as the fallout continues from Saturday's ill-tempered match at Old Trafford.

Jose Mujica insists there was "nothing racist" about Suarez's actions and that his eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra had been over-hyped.

"There is solidarity with [Liverpool's Luis] Suarez. Suarez is not a racist and never will be," Mujica is quoted in the Telegraph.

"There is nothing racist," he added. "He's a young genius on the football field, (and) humble."

The Liverpool striker raised tensions again between the two sides after he refused to shake Evra's hand ahead of Liverpool's defeat to Manchester United last week.

Suarez later apologised to his manager, Kenny Dalglish, and the club, but the club's American owners have been embarrassed by the on-going situation caused by the turmoil and the player's future at the club has been cast into doubt.

Paris-Saint Germain have been linked with the Uruguayan striker, who signed for Liverpool in January last year from Ajax in a deal worth £22.8m.

The Qatari-backed French side are on the lookout for a new striker after failed moves for Carlos Tevez and Alexandre Pato in January.

While at the start of the season Liverpool were favourites to make the top four, the Reds are finding the task of qualifying for next season's Champions League more difficult than first imagined.

The club currently sit at seventh in the Premier League table, and have won just two of their last nine games.

PSG, meanwhile, are top of the Ligue 1 table, and look likely to qualify for Champions League next season. The side have particularly high ambitions, and since the new owners took over the club have been spending big to get closer to their goal of being French and European giants.

Meanwhile, Suarez's international teammate Diego Lugano backed Mujica's comments and commended the Liverpool striker for his decision to snub Patrice Evra at Old Trafford on Saturday.

"Keep in mind that England is a country historically colonial and racism is very delicate, but we know that has nothing to do with the relationship between Luis and the United player."

Lugano added that Suarez "has gone through a few months he did not deserve."

"All of us in football know it's a big circus. For what did Luis on Saturday must have balls. He followed his convictions.

"We live in a democracy and if you do not want to greet someone, do not greet them."