Firmino Says He 'Felt Calm' During Racism Probe & Urges People to Join the Fight Against It

Roberto Firmino has spoken out against racism in the wake of being cleared over the accusations made by Everton defender Mason Holgate in January.

Holgate alleged that the Brazilian had racially abused him during the heated Merseyside FA Cup derby in which the two engaged in a verbal spat, but the FA cleared the Liverpool man due to there being insufficient evidence.

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The governing body are said to have undertaken a thorough investigation and made their decision 47 days after the incident.

"I would like to place on record, for the avoidance of any doubt, I did not say the word, or a variation of the word, that was claimed and subsequently reported in the media. I did not use any language that referenced race," Firmino said after the FA made their statement.

"I did not - and would never - reference a person’s skin colour or culture, by means of insult, during a dispute or an argument."

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Speaking to Goal's Melissa Ready this week, the striker claimed that he didn't panic after he was accused, despite such allegations usually being followed by stiff penalties in the past.

"I always felt calm about it [the allegations] because I knew I had not said what they were accusing me of," he explained.

Firmino also claimed to have been a victim of such abuse himself and has urged everyone to join the fight against what he describes as a serious issue.

"I have suffered racial prejudice and I know how painful it is. People need to take this issue more seriously and engage in this fight against racism."