*FAN SUBMISSION by Leon Elliott of Dorset, England. Follow him on Twitter @leon_elliott.*
Courtesy: Yahoo Sports
Luis Suarez is a man who makes the unthinkable plausible and the surprising seem expected. But whilst his unprecedented 40 yard goal against Norwich in December characterized the seemingly unlimited talent of the 27 year old, Suarez’s career has also been tainted by a darker side; spurred on by his habitual unpredictability.
Ever since headbutting a referee at the age of sixteen he has been no stranger to disgrace, but the latest of Suarez’s on field misdemeanors could prove the most impacting since his teenage years. The result of the assault 11 years ago saw him threatened with eviction from the Nacional academy, but this would evidently do little to prevent the recurrence of similar events in his future. Allegations of racism, a prodigiously inflictive handball, and various calls of foul play may have made Suarez a frequenter of the back pages since his time in England; but he has never shied away from this fact. The same lack of remorse that shows during his time at Nacional – he was caught drinking and partying just days after the headbutt – still remains.
But whilst the chances are that most strikers sporting the tenacity of Suarez will at one time in their career face suspension for violent conduct on the field, for Suarez, this is his third bite alone. Before he took a munch on a member of the opposition whilst playing for Ajax in 2010, biting was simply not an issue on the football pitch. And it shouldn’t be. Every other one of his peers would have learnt that biting is unacceptable by the time they 6, but for Suarez, his anomalous intent on breaking the rules is one attribute that he has never grown out of. Much outrage has also channeled out of the fact that this has been done on the world’s stage, but let it be remembered that this is not even the first time Luis Suarez has been guilty of gross misconduct on a World Cup pitch. His 2010 handball against Ghana may have seen no further consequences than a red card, but this bite on Chiellini was equally efficacious. Italy lost the game, and no doubt put some of this blame on a disgruntling Suarez. It is the notion that Suarez could have the audacity to go and carry out an even more repulsive act than in 2010 that has created the consensus of a deserved and justified, lengthier ban.
Missing 9 games of club and international football each may not seem like much at first, but a dive into the fixture list sheds some light into the severity of FIFA’s punishment. During his 4 month prohibition of ‘All football relating activity’, Suarez will miss all of Uruguay’s Copa America qualifying campaign. This is a tournament in which the holders will be needing to re-stamp their authority following the World Cup resurgences of neighbours Chile and Colombia, and his presence will be missed. Not only this, but during key clashes against Manchester City, Spurs and Everton, Liverpool will be without their talisman striker. Steven Gerrard may hold unparalleled status in the city of Liverpool, but Luis Suarez’ – in terms of pure footballing attention – is not far behind. Considering the immense admiration of the Uruguayan, this adds another factor for contemplation within his actions.
Whether you believe – as Ian Wright first suggested – that Suarez’ tendency to bite is a matter of deep-lying mental issues, there is no denying that his actions are not fit for any football pitch, anywhere in the world. Perhaps the most shocking part of all of the whole affair is the notion of Suarez being a repeat offender, and just two days after the event we have been reminded that this was not just a one off event. The front page of the Daily Mirror today read the story of a young Liverpool fan ‘expelled’ from school for biting a class mate, and this only amplifies the severity of his actions. Suarez will have by the end of his ban missed 39 games for Uruguay, Ajax and Liverpool as a result of mis-conduct, and as professional this is a blatant disregard of responsibility. Suarez will inevitably let down both his club and national side through his failings to act appropriately, but overall the greatest damage will be that done to his fans. For adults Luis Suarez may never have displayed a moral design for life, but for a child – who sees him for only hid actions on the pitch – Suarez has gone and demonstrated that biting a sporting opponent is acceptable. After all – for 24 hours he had gotten away with it.
For the corruption of his figure as a role model alone, Luis Suarez was thus fully deserved of a substantial playing ban. After his banishing from all football stadiums and training pitches he may return and may have learnt nothing – he is just as likely to disregard as he is assimilate his responsibility – but at least for the next four months we can be safe in the knowledge that biting will not take place in a football stadium again. Only from here can FIFA stop ‘Doing a Suarez’ being repeated at any level, anywhere.
Courtesy: BBC
However, considering his shameful track record of duty, responsibility, and the repeated circumstances, some people will no doubt question whether FIFA’s actions are actually enough to reform Suarez. Keeping him off of a football pitch for four months will may be a mechanism for FIFA to lay down the rule book, but there is no saying that Luis will truly learn from it. From those potentially by his ban – his clubs, his national side, and the fans – Luis Suarez alone seems to get away considerably undamaged. Being denied access to official training and playing pitches will purposely affect his game temporarily, but I have no doubt certain that a professional payer earning £10 Million a year would have equivalent facilities in his own home. Four months off may leave him estranged to the team environment when he returns in November, but as a world class athlete he will be working as hard as ever to maintain his physical shape until then. Put it this way, and four months paid leave almost sounds appealing.
Considering his ignored bans for diving, biting and handling the ball in the past, it’s thus a surprise that the topic of more serious punishment for Suarez is one that hasn’t been too heavily talked about. The current situation may act as a deterrent for other players in the game but in Suarez’s case, the consignment of a prison sentence doesn’t seem too unfathomable. Racism, assault and biting all actions that could see the spectator arrested in the stands of a football stadium, so why do such contrasting rules apply on the stadium’s pitch? I’m not saying that arrests should be made for every act of misconduct – that is ridiculous – but for a player who has openly shown defiance to learn from his punishments, it almost feels appropriate. When ex-Rangers striker Duncan Ferguson headbutted John McStay in 1994, he immediately faced a three month prison sentence. Like Suarez, he had in the years leading up to the event culminated a disreputable collection of minor assaults and crimes, and was subsequently arrested in his third strike. This is his third strike for biting – let alone his racism spat with Evra and headbutt in Uruguay – so, if the governing body had grown exhausted of his actions, Suarez could theoretically have faced prison. The Scottish FA and Police’s actions turned out to be effective and Ferguson was never again held responsible for an assault; on or off the football pitch.
Only time will tell as to whether the generally well-received punishment will prove effective for Suarez. In a ban fitting for Suarez himself, there really is no way of predicting how things will pan out, and similarly how Suarez will react to it. Suarez’s situation is as unstable on the pitches it is off the pitch, and we may never even see him play in the Premier League again. In five months time it seems just as likely that Suarez could be making the back-pages with praise for an emphatic return to the score-sheet as he could for a fiery El Classico headbutt, so really there is no point in guessing. If by December it is the latter, then it may not only be Luis Suarez’ respect that is sent down.
Who says FIFA have nothing to learn from the Scottish Football Association?
