His wrap sheet was longer than my shopping list leading into the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Previous discretions included the racial vilification of Patrice Evra, intentionally handballing on the goal line against Ghana (he was red carded, although the resultant penalty was saved), as well as biting Otman Bakkal (while playing for Ajax) and Branislav Ivanovic (as a Liverpool player) - so Luis Suarez was on a PR campaign to prove he was a changed man. All that meant though was he prefers his meat closer to the bone… and what happened in Uruguay’s third game of the 2014 World Cup qualifying round against Italy should’ve been a shock to exactly no one.
In the 79th minute of the tie, a very unremarkable ball into the Azzuri’s 18 yard box was cleared by Giorgio Chiellini. He was in space and there was no reason to think of the repelled foray as a potential flashpoint, but a hungry Uruguayan striker is known for doing the unexpected – often brilliant, sometimes disgraceful. This was the latter.
Suarez, as if incensed by the voices in his head, stormed in unprovoked, making sure to tangle with the hard-bodied Italian defender. Both men fell to the turf from the scuffle. Chiellini waving his arm, grabbing at his shoulder, while the Uruguayan number nine sat grabbing at his face.
It looked innocuous at first look… possibly a headbutt that both players made a meal of? No. Moments later television cameras revealed all.
Chiellini set off after the referee, offering apparent bite marks in his shoulder blade as evidence that he, Suarez, had snacked snapped again. The perpetrator sat grabbing at his incisors – for they’d found a gristlier piece of human flesh on this occasion.
There were no video referee’s to set things right, and Suarez played out the match unpunished. His country scored the game winning goal just a minute after the altercation.
It was only post game that the striker would “face” the wrath of FIFA, being banned from professional football for four months, plus nine Internationals, and receiving a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs.
At the time, Suarez argued he’d simply lost balance and fallen chompers first into Chiellini.
He later apologised to his mid-game meal, although maintaining he’d never really hurt an opponent, and none of the bites were in the Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield category.
Yeah, OK, Luis. I suppose they’re virtually a show of respect.
