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Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says it was important that Luis Suarez apologised after he was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra. Ahead of City�s Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool, Mancini said Suarez had �made a mistake� but does not think that the Uruguay striker should be labelled a racist. Mancini added: �It is impossible that we are always perfect. �Everything can happen because you don�t think.� Suarez was handed an eight-match ban by an independent Football Association commission on 20 December � a decision that he did not appeal � and the player issued a general apology on 5 January. He will not play in either leg of the semi-final against City. �Sometimes a situation like this can happen on the pitch,� continued Mancini. �It is important to apologise for what he did. �Sometimes on the pitch you can do something that you don�t want to do. You are nervous. You don�t think on the pitch. �I don�t think Suarez is a racist. He made a mistake? Probably, yes. �Everyone can do a mistake sometimes. It is important to say, �I am sorry, I made a mistake, I apologise for this and I accept the charge�.� The former Sampdoria and Lazio striker drew a parallel with his own 20-year playing career in Italy, where football has long had a battle against racism. �I have heard everything said against me and I have said some things � but not important things like racist words.�