Liverpool star Luis Suarez has been banned for nine competitive international matches, and from football entirely for four months after biting Giorgio Chiellini of Italy while on Uruguay duty at the World Cup.
Here’s what the CaughtOffside team think:
1. Is a ban for nine competitive international games and four months from football activity lenient, fair or harsh?
Adam Davies: There’s no precedent, so it’s difficult to compare to anything else. It’s similar incidents we should be comparing to rather than leg breaking tackles or elbows to the face, because Suarez’s bite was deliberate violent conduct rather than a poor challenge. The problem is that the only person who has performed similar offences is Luis Suarez – mostly because biting is pretty damn weird – and his seven game and ten game bans for the last two bites clearly haven’t put him off doing it in future. With that in mind, I guess they had to clamp down even more severely.
Steve Green: The ban itself is probably quite lenient, but the fine is pathetic, especially when you consider Nicklas Bendtner was fined £95,000 for wearing sponsored pants two years ago. However, not allowing him to train is a little much, if they’re not going to offer some sort of alternative, or offer to get him some professional help then what is he supposed to do?
Jacob Daniel: I reckon it’s probably fair, but if anything it’s lenient. Biting someone on a football pitch once is absurd, to do it three times is almost unbelievable. I don’t think FIFA had any other options other than a long ban.
Rob Summerscales: Of course it is lenient. In most professions, one bite and a single use of a racially abusive term could end a career instantly. Obviously, footballers live in a different world, but Suarez has zero right to appeal.
2. Is it right that the ban affects Liverpool too?
Adam Davies: Ultimately, he’s Liverpool’s asset and their responsibility. They knew what they were getting, given they signed him after his Ajax ban for biting PSV’s Otman Bakkal, and they’ve defended two indefensible incidents at Anfield already. With that in mind, it’s hard to have too much sympathy.
Steve Green: Big time, Liverpool are being punished more. You could say that they didn’t do enough to rehabilitate him after his past two incidents, but judging by the way he behaved last season everybody probably thought he was over the worst of these outbursts, but apparently not.
Jacob Daniel: Absolutely. Liverpool chose to humour their asset when he bit someone before, rather than cut their losses, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that he did it again. It was their decision to roll the dice with his behaviour rather than sell him, so I don’t have much sympathy.
Rob Summerscales: Undoubtedly. Liverpool stood by him throughout the racism scandal involving Patrice Evra and after bite number two – on Branislav Ivanovic. They did not create the monster, but they have facilitated his development into the menace he is today.
3. Will this put off teams from bidding for Suarez?
Adam Davies: Probably not. Dare I say it, but while Luis Suarez’s wild side is regularly used as a PR disaster, I can see it being a case of any publicity is good publicity – he remains an incredibly marketable asset with a real edge. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona could certainly find a place for him in their teams.
He is so rarely injured – other than the knee surgery at the end of this season, Suarez hasn’t missed any games for physical reasons since signing for Liverpool. Despite his bans for racist abuse and biting, Suarez has still played more games in the last three seasons than, for example, Sergio Aguero of Manchester City.
Steve Green: Probably not, he’s still a spectacular player and at a club like Barcelona he won’t be able to take liberties like he has done at Anfield. The Spanish season starts later than the Premier League too, so he won’t miss quite as many games.
Jacob Daniel: Probably until January. What’s the point in paying his wages for four months when he can’t play until November?
Rob Summerscales: It should and it probably will. Real Madrid and Barcelona would have been looking at him as someone in his prime who could come in and make an instant impact. Now he can’t play until late October, his appeal lessens incredibly.
4. As a result of the above, will Suarez stay at Liverpool or leave this summer?
Adam Davies: I think he’ll go, but for less than Liverpool would have valued him for. Brendan Rodgers must now contemplate the opening months of the Premier League and much of the UEFA Champions League group stage without his star player, and may prefer to invest the money elsewhere where he can be free of the Luis Suarez circus.
Steve Green: He’ll leave, the press will hound him constantly and the grief he’ll get from opposing fans will be intense. As a result of that his family probably won’t want to stay.
Jacob Daniel: I think he’ll stay, unless Liverpool decide that enough is enough and actively look to sell him. Either way it’ll be likely to cost them an eight figure sum if he leaves in the summer or January.
Rob Summerscales: He will stay.