Luis Suárez has angrily criticised the supporters who targeted him for sustained abuse during Great Britain's match against Uruguay, accusing them of a "total lack of respect".

Suárez also received the public backing of his Liverpool and Uruguay team-mate Sebastian Coates, who said the crowd had "gone too far" after another night when Suárez was repeatedly booed.

The jeering interrupted the playing of the Uruguay national anthem after Suárez was shown on the big screen and the striker hit out after a 1-0 defeat that meant his team were eliminated.

"I think they jeer me and they boo me because they must be scared of facing a player like me," he said. "They fear me, but that doesn't affect me. I'm just hurt because we lost and we are going home. I can take the abuse … but I think it was a total lack of respect from the crowd to boo when we were trying to sing our national anthem. I think those things should not happen."

Suárez's unpopularity with opposition crowds can be traced back to his altercation with Patrice Evra last season and the Football Association hearing that ruled he had racially abused the Manchester United player. Suárez was banned for eight matches and has been one of the more reviled players in the Premier League ever since.

"I'm tired of this situation with Luis," Coates said. "I think it has gone too far and I don't like to see him treated like this. I know the kind of person he is and I think the abuse he gets is very unfair. He knows all his team-mates and a whole country are fully behind him and I think fans over here should leave him alone."