In the past two weeks, two high profile footballers have been in the headlines for the wrong reasons. First Liverpool’s Luis Suarez was convicted of racially abusing Patrice Evra, given an eight match suspension and fined a paltry £40,000. Then it was announced that England and Chelsea captain, John Terry, would face criminal charges for allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, the brother of his England centre back partner, Rio.

As the country desperately attempts to eradicate racism from football, the involvement of two such high profile footballers in scandals is debilitating. John Terry, icon to millions, is no stranger to the headlines. Since the club’s defeat in the Champions League final in 2008, Terry has been embroiled in a high profile affair with a teammate’s partner, has been photographed parking in a disabled space before enjoying an extended lunch and has even allegedly arranged unofficial Chelsea tours for money, despite weekly wages of over £100,000. His alleged involvement in another embarrassing incident once more prompts a country to question his role as both captain of a national team and one of the biggest clubs in the country. Yet whilst the country’s legal foundation encourages a person to be considered innocent until found guilty, the clubs unequivocal support seems misplaced. That the CPS has taken the decision to prosecute suggests at least some incident has taken place, whilst Chelsea’s failure to launch their own investigation into the event risks condoning racism. The club should be the first line of defence, not a cushion of support to the accused. Chelsea, like Liverpool, risks putting the player and team’s results before the greater good.

Whilst the jury may be out on Terry, it has convicted Suarez. He has not been condemned by his club however, but been merely cast as the victim of an unjust punishment as the football club’s propaganda mill has roared into life. Teammates, past players and the manager Kenny Dalglish have all lined up to plead Suarez’s innocence, pointing to his ignorance as a supposedly sufficient excuse. However, the most disgraceful of all attempts to support Suarez was his teammate’s unanimous decision to wear shirts displaying his name in the warm-up to their match. In wearing Suarez shirts, the players and the clubs ignore not only the punishment but the racial abuse itself. The decision to wear Suarez shirts was then replicated by the club’s fans, illustrating the extent of the club’s influence over a huge fan base. The football club have the right to oppose the validity of the punishment if they have grounds, but they do have the right to turn racism into a public circus, and completely undermine the governing body’s decision.

The FA’s major attempt to condemn racism has failed. It has failed because Liverpool’s manager and past and present players have attacked the decision in a disgraceful and public manner. Would they have reacted in such a way if it had been a low profile reserve player? The worrying truth is that when the player is so important, as Suarez and John Terry are to their clubs, heinous actions are side-lined, because the club’s success comes first. Liverpool have set a worrying precedent in their behaviour; they have completely undermined all the attempts to kick racism out of football. The FA must now set their own precedent by increasing Suarez’s punishment, docking the club points and fining all parties. The football pitch is not an excluded place, but a modern theatre watched by millions across the globe. Those who assault, who abuse on it, must be penalised to the maximum degree, because football is much more than a game.