The Football.....

[Smokin Joe]

I agree with the ban but I also have a lot of sympathy for Suarez as a person and I can see why he inspires such lunatic conspiratorial defence from his fellow Uruguayans. This superb article, written before the World Cup but even more telling in light of what happened, really tells you what you need to know: http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/sto...nner-luis-suarez-soccer-most-beautiful-player

Summary, for those who don't have the time to read it (although you really should): He's the kind of footballer it is impossible to imagine these days in Britain: a dirt-poor kid who did everything he could to be as good a footballer as he could and he did it all for the hope of escape offered by love and family - but he has serious flaws, not the least of which is the rage that seems to take him over at certain moments and unfortunately the intensity and pessure of professional sport is exactly the kind of setting in which those demons are likely to be unleashed.

There does seem to be a massive over-reaction to a childish but relatively trivial offence. We are a nation who eulogise the likes of Tommy Smith, Billy Bremner, Maurice Setters and many others who were nothing more than vicious thugs and whose "Hard but fair" (ho ho) method of winning the ball ensured that many of their opponents spent months out injured and ended up needing plastic knees and hips later in their lives, yet we go all pious when some "Dirty Dago" causes a few seconds minor pain to a player.

Mountain out of a mole hill.

 

[AndyRM]

He was banned for 7 matches for biting Bakkal, 10 for biting Ivanovic, are you suggesting than 11 matches is appropriate for a 3rd offence? What would you envisage for a 4th bite?

It's really a 20 match ban as he's been banned from 9 international matches outside the 4 month window.

 

[Paul99]

There does seem to be a massive over-reaction to a childish but relatively trivial offence. We are a nation who eulogise the likes of Tommy Smith, Billy Bremner, Maurice Setters and many others who were nothing more than vicious thugs and whose "Hard but fair" (ho ho) method of winning the ball ensured that many of their opponents spent months out injured and ended up needing plastic knees and hips later in their lives, yet we go all pious when some "Dirty Dago" causes a few seconds minor pain to a player.

Mountain out of a mole hill.

The players you have mentioned would spend far longer out of the game than their victims these days.

I don't think that there was any real need for you to call him what you have.

He has assaulted another player. It wasn't just a bad tackle.

 

[Alun]

It's really a 20 match ban as he's been banned from 9 international matches outside the 4 month window.

Thanks, I hadn't seen that when I posted.

 

[potsy]

Don't see why Liverpool should be punished for an incident that happened whilst playing for his country, surely it should have been an Internationals ban only?

 

[ianrauk]

Battle of the biters....

 

[Smokin Joe]

The players you have mentioned would spend far longer out of the game than their victims these days.

I don't think that there was any real need for you to call him what you have.

He has assaulted another player. It wasn't just a bad tackle.

What I called him was in quote marks for a reason.

 

[MikeG]

I reckon Uruguay will be organising a whole lot of international friendlies in a big hurry, before their next important tournament or qualifiers.

 

[User169]

I reckon Uruguay will be organising a whole lot of international friendlies in a big hurry, before their next important tournament or qualifiers.

I think the ban applies to competitive matches - he'll actually be able to play in friendlies after the 4m ban period.

Interesting that FIFA made it clear the 4m ban from football activity does not cover transfer activity.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Since the Ghana game in 2010, he's now been banned for 34 games - and not a single red card.

 

[MikeG]

You could be forgiven for thinking he is being picked on.

Yeah I agree. Most other players who have bitten their opponents on at least 3 separate occasions have been treated much more leniently.

 

[AndyRM]

You could be forgiven for thinking he is being picked on.

Why always Suarez?

 

[AndyRM]

As opposed to all the other biters?

My comedy mis-quoting of Balotelli has been wasted.

 

[martint235]

Yeah I agree. Most other players who have bitten their opponents on at least 3 separate occasions have been treated much more leniently.

He's not once damaged another player sufficiently to put them out of a subsequent game though

 

[MarkF]

He was banned for 7 matches for biting Bakkal, 10 for biting Ivanovic, are you suggesting than 11 matches is appropriate for a 3rd offence? What would you envisage for a 4th bite?

Dunno, but I can't wait for bite IV.