THE Football Association has ordered Luis Suarez to sing I Will Always Love You to Manchester United’s Patrice Evra on Valentine’s Day.
The FA said the move would draw a line under the ongoing race controversy and form the centrepiece of the Association’s official tribute to Whitney Houston.
The row was reignited on Saturday when the Liverpool player refused to shake Evra’s hand confirming recent speculation that he does not think the Frenchman is a very nice person.
An FA spokesman said: “The combination of Valentine’s Day and the Whitney Houston tragedy should remind us all that Patrice Evra is probably telling the truth.
“We have ordered Luis Suarez to learn his lines and then sing the song really, really well. It would be particularly nice if they could have dinner in the centre circle at Old Trafford and then a string quartet would appear out of the darkness and Luis could get up and sing while holding Patrice’s hand.
“Don’t tell Patrice about the song though. We want it to be a lovely Valentine’s Day surprise.”
Kenny Dalglish has backed both the dinner and the song and pledged to once again behave in a manner befitting a Liverpool manager by not winning the league.
Meanwhile, the FA is among dozens of organisations planning a Whitney Houston tribute including Network Rail, Little Chef and the Association of British Insurers.
Labour MP Tom Watson will organise his party’s official tribute and has also called for the Queen’s 60th Jubilee celebrations to be renamed in honour of the tragic singer.
Prime minister David Cameron added: “I will never forget the night I became the MP for Witney, which I now realise sounds the same as Whitney.
“It’s so very sad”
