The rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool is renowned for its intensity, with numerous confrontations over the years. One particularly notable incident took place during their match at Old Trafford in February 2012, fueled by events from their previous encounter at Anfield four months earlier.
Luis Suarez had been handed an eight-game suspension for racially abusing Patrice Evra. During their subsequent meeting, Suarez refused to shake Evra’s hand, escalating tensions throughout the game. He further provoked the situation by kicking the ball towards the United dugout and into the crowd before halftime.
Although Suarez scored later in the match, Liverpool lost due to Wayne Rooney’s two goals securing a victory for United. At the end of the game, Evra’s celebration in front of Suarez was caught on camera.
What transpired next in the tunnel was not filmed, but former Liverpool winger Stewart Downing shared details on the Under The Cosh podcast, as reported by the Mirror.
“Stuff was going back and forth, and then just before halftime, the ball came to Suarez, and he blasted it at the Man United bench,” Downing recalled. “After the whistle, he aimed it straight at the dugout, making a scene.”
Describing the post-match chaos, Downing said, “In the tunnel, things escalated. Nemanja Vidic wasn’t in the squad but was present, and the situation got heated. Rooney was trying to break things up, and I stayed back. There was a lot of pushing and shoving, with Rio Ferdinand and Vidic causing a commotion. Big Pepe Reina got involved, and I think Rio hit Dirk Kuyt discreetly. Kuyt lost his temper and shouted, ‘I’m gonna kill him.’”
Dirk Kuyt, who never had the opportunity for on-field retribution as he moved to Fenerbahce after that season, and Kenny Dalglish, who left Liverpool after a disappointing eighth-place finish, were both affected by the incident. That season ended dramatically for United, as they lost the title to Manchester City due to Sergio Aguero’s memorable late goal. Evra and Suarez would eventually have a handshake when Barcelona faced Juventus in the 2015 Champions League final, three years after their previous clash.
