Liverpool & Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has been handed a 4 month ban from all football plus a 9 game International ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay’s game with Italy on Tuesday.
This is the third time that Suarez has been banned from playing football in the last four years for biting an opponent. In addition to the ban for biting Chiellini in the World Cup, he was banned for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in 2013 and PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal in 2010.
I have read lots of comment on social media and various media outlets saying that the punishment was excessive; but it’s a third offense for the same thing. He is a persistent offender and clearly will never change his ways, he has shown zero remorse, trying to dismiss the incident saying “These are just things that happen out on the pitch”. No, Luis, this is not something that just happens, we don’t hear about other players biting opponents in the heat of the on-pitch action!
Before the end of the Premier League season I was hoping that Liverpool could fend off big money bids for Suarez but now that the Uruguayan will start another season on the sidelines serving another ban, if Real Madrid or Barcelona offer £80m for Suarez, Liverpool must let him go.
If Suarez isn’t sold on come 16th August; he will miss 13 games for the Reds, nine Premiership matches, one FA Cup match and three Champions League matches; which will add up to a total of 32 games missed because of bans for various offenses since signing for Liverpool in 2011.
I’m betting my view will not be shared by many Liverpool fans; but Suarez is poisonous to the stability of Liverpool; three bans plus multiple attempts to force his sale to other clubs including Arsenal, despite saying he didn’t like playing in England because of the media attention. I believe that manager, Brendan Rogers and the Liverpool board need to cut their losses and move on.
