Last Tuesday, Uruguay and Liverpool striker Luis Suarez hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons again as hit bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.
With the score at 0-0 in the must win game for Uruguay, the frustrated Suarez bit out at the shoulder of the Italian defender, his third offence of the kind.
While playing at Ajax in Holland in 2010, he was suspended for seven games for biting PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal on the shoulder.
Then, in 2013, While playing for Liverpool, he was suspended for 10 games for biting Chelsea’s Branislov Ivanovic on the arm.
Suarez denies any wrongdoing, claiming he lost his balance, although the video evidence clearly shows that he appeared to bite the Juventus defender.
But FIFA have not bought this excuse and after being found guilty, he has been banned from all footballing activities for four months and for nine international matches.
Harsh perhaps on Liverpool, who have stuck by their man on previous occasions as well as appearing to sort him out whilst he was in England, maybe a factor behind his incredible season last year.
Despite many thinking the ban was not harsh enough for the repeat offender, many within the footballing world think that the ban was too harsh, including Chiellini himself.
“I have always considered unequivocal the disciplinary interventions by the competent bodies, but at the same time I believe that the proposed formula is excessive.
“I sincerely hope that he will be allowed, at least, to stay close to his team-mates during the games because such a ban is really alienating for a player,” said the 29 year old.
Uruguay captain Diego Lugano has also claimed Suarez’s innocence.
He told the BBC, “what incident? The pictures don’t show anything. They show an approximation.”
Legend Diego Maradonna has also criticised the ban, attacking the “Fifa mafia” and likening the ban to being “handcuffed” and “thrown in Guantánamo”.
The Brazil striker Fred has also criticised the severity of the ban. “I see this punishment as too severe,” he said.
“I have talked to some people and most people think it was fair. But in my opinion in wasn’t, because it is a punishment that could end a player’s life. You also have everyone slamming him for his mistake. I think he had to be punished, yes, but I would still like to be seeing Suárez playing in the World Cup in Brazil.”
For me the ban, although incredibly harsh on Liverpool, is about fair. Talk of lifetime bans and even two-year total bans were absolutely ridiculous.
I think the stigma attached to Suarez in the UK is behind the reaction of a lot of people in Britain, I would be interested to see the reaction if the incident involved a more favoured player, rather than one despised by most.
Yes I understand that he is a repeat offender but for me, it is not as if Suarez goes into a game thinking he wants to cause more controversy. I am sure he is not a bad person, just a person in need of help, help which for me would be more beneficial than just throwing the book at him.
The appropriate punishment for me would have been a 2-year international ban, and a heftier fine.
One player who could sympathise with Luis Suarez in terms of public hatred is Joey Barton and he took to Twitter to say:
” I love Suarez. I love his passion for the game. I would have him on my team everyday of the week. I am also aware you can’t defend him here.
“All things considered I’d rather receive a bite than a leg breaking challenge. Whilst he should be punished, it is not the end of the world.
“He’s a winner. If that means he occasionally steps over the line between right and wrong, than thats what comes with the territory…
“Nobody’s perfect.”
So what now for Luis Suarez?
Although Liverpool are yet to make their intentions clear, they may consider selling their key man, having giving him enough chances to prove himself.
The Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are both said to remain interested in the Uruguay forward and despite his problems, he would be likely to be welcomed in by fans of either side, should he sign for them.
However, if he stays at Liverpool, he would be even more of a pantomime villain when he returns to the football pitch at the end of October.
With the abuse Suarez will receive, he would have to be incredibly thick skinned to take it and not let it affect him on the football pitch, something I think that is something Liverpool will realise and may persuade them to sell him on.
For now, Suarez’s Uruguay side are out of the World Cup following yesterday’s 2-0 defeat to Colombia, and their manager Oscar Tabarez, who has threatened to quit FIFA as a result of the ‘excessive ban’, has refused to blame Suarez for that.
Edward Seaman Journo 