Angry Evra lashes out at four-match ban

An angry Patrice Evra has lashed out at the four-match ban slapped on him by the FA for his part in a post-match brawl at Chelsea last season, insisting he did nothing wrong.

“I’m very angry because I didn’t touch anybody, yet I have a four-game ban,” he told the club website from Japan where he is competing at the Club World Cup.

“But sometimes bad things happen in life — now I’m focusing on the Club World Cup because I want to be a world champion.”

United announced on Tuesday they would not appeal the ban, although manager Alex Ferguson labelled it “the worst decision I have ever known.”

The French international was ruled by the Football Association to have attacked Chelsea groundsman Sam Bethell at Stamford Bridge after April’s game.

Evra was also fined 15,000 pounds (16,100 euros) and Chelsea 25,000 pounds because of Bethell’s conduct during the fracas, following the Londoners’ 2-1 win.

The club’s chief executive David Gill added his criticism.

“We looked at the situation carefully and discussed it with Alex and Patrice, and as you saw from the strong statement we put out we were very disappointed by the ban,” he told the website.

“We thought it was disproportionate, a poor decision. But we felt, given the games he misses, the issues surrounding an appeal and the distraction it would cause at a key stage in the season, it’d be better to take it on the chin.

“Patrice is a wonderful character and I believe him 100 percent when he says he never hit the groundsman. He has our full support.

“We don’t like the decision and we don’t think it reflects other improper conduct charges. But we move on.”

Evra will miss December’s league matches with Stoke and Middlesbrough and, in January, the FA Cup third round tie away to Southampton and the first leg of the League Cup semi-final against Derby.

He returns from suspension against Chelsea at Old Trafford on January 11.