The attacker made the headlines for all the wrong reasons on Sunday, yet it is not the first time his hunger on the pitch has got him in trouble

By Stefan Coerts

Not for the first time this season, Liverpool star Luis Suarez was at the centre of attention once more. It was not for his stoppage-time equaliser in the Reds’ 2-2 draw against Chelsea that was the main talking point, nor his terrific pass into Daniel Sturridge for the substitute’s opener, no, it was something far more sinister.

Instead, it was the Uruguay international’s inexplicable decision to bite Branislav Ivanovic’s arm halfway through the second half, again underlining his reputation as the ultimate supervillain.

Whereas the majority of football fans will have been shell-shocked by the incident, it will have been deja vu for those who followed Suarez’s career before he moved to Liverpool in January 2011. Biting opponents may not be part of the repertoire of many players, yet the prolific attacker has proven to be somewhat of a specialist as he previously turned vampire in November 2010 when the then Ajax forward took a bite out of PSV midfielder Otman Bakkal‘s shoulder.

After team-mate Rasmus Lindgren received a red card in the closing stages of the scoreless Eredivisie draw between both Dutch giants, a scuffle took place involving a number of players. Bakkal stamped on Suarez’s foot during the brawl, provoking the 26-year-old to react by biting the surprised midfielder. Referee Bjorn Kuipers failed to spot the incident, yet the attacker would not get away with his crime.

Understandably, Suarez’s bizarre action led to an intense debate in the media about what punishment should be taken and Ajax opted not to wait for the Dutch football assocation’s (KNVB) verdict. The Godenzonen did play their star striker in the Champions League match against Real Madrid three days after the incident, but then handed him a two-match ban, as well as a hefty fine that would be donated to charity.

The club’s reaction did little to satisfy the Dutch press, though, with even Ajax-minded paper De Telegraaf calling for a more severe punishment, labelling Suarez: ‘The cannibal of Ajax’. The KNVB weren’t too impressed with Ajax’s punishment either and took a firm stance by handing the controversial forward a seven-match ban.

Meanwhile, Bakkal refused to judge his opponent and remained coy on the incident when questioned about it by the press.

“Things were pretty hectic and a lot of incidents took place. Perhaps I could have milked the situation a bit more, but as I said, it was all quite hectic. I’d rather talk about the game itself,” he told reporters at the time.

The cannibal of Ajax | Bakkal shows Atiba Hutchison where Suarez left his mark

Suarez on the other hand initially downplayed his actions, claiming it happened in the heat of the moment. He also claimed to have already made peace with Bakkal after the final whistle. Only days later, did he admit he was in the wrong and an official apology followed shortly after.

“I was wrong. What I did also damages Ajax’s image. I should be a role model as Ajax captain. What Bakkal did was wrong as well, but my behaviour even worse,” a first statement read, before going one step further the week after.

“I am sorry about what happened against PSV. I would like to apologise to Bakkal and the Ajax fans. I realise that my behaviour was wrong. It all happened in the rush of the moment. You can’t think properly at such a moment. You feel bad afterwards though and regret your actions.”

The most important consequence of Suarez’s bite was not his lengthy suspension, but that his reputation was tarnished. Life was impossible for him in the Netherlands. A winter transfer therefore away from the club seemed a realistic option.

Indeed, the 0-0 draw against PSV would prove to be his last Eredivisie game for the Amsterdam giants. Only days after serving the last match of his seven-game ban, Liverpool made an offer for Suarez and Ajax were happy to cash in on the attacker after the Reds eventually proved willing to match their asking price.

Some 27 months after his move to Anfield, a similar scenario could be on the cards this summer. And although the Uruguay international may have already apologised for what he did, and Liverpool moved quickly to condemn their star player’s offence, the FA is unlikely to be lenient with action they take against Suarez: another hefty ban seems appropriate.

The forward has long been linked with a move elsewhere and the latest developments could very well be a catalyst for change as clubs from across Europe closely monitor Suarez’s situation. Liverpool face a tough task to decide whether they are willing to forgive Suarez and if the South American still has a future in England.

One thing’s for sure, though, regardless of what the Reds decide, the attacker will continue to divide opinion wherever he plies his trade.

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The Anfield club will come under the microscope yet again following the actions of their superstar striker and the way they deal with the fallout will come under forensic scrutiny

COMMNET
By Julian Bennetts

What does rock bottom actually feel like?

The likes of Tony Adams and Paul Gascoigne will know, yet the demons they fought and encountered were simply reflective of the fallibility of human nature. They garnered support from all right-minded people.

Luis Suarez, the Premier League’s modern day poster boy for infamy, will receive no such sympathy on Monday morning, however.
 
There are few things that unite football, but biting – which is akin perhaps only to spitting in football’s invisible pantheon of the unacceptable – does just such a job.
 
The Uruguayan must surely receive a similar ban to the seven-game one he incurred for a copycat offence on PSV’s Otman Bakkal, after he attempted to take a chunk out of Branislav Ivanovic’s arm.
 
The book will come crashing down, and Suarez must accept his punishment, but what next for Liverpool? Their reputation is set to be dragged through the mud again as a consequence of their superstar striker’s actions.
 
After their clumsy mishandling of the racism storm of 2011-12, the way in which they deal with the fallout from the Uruguayan’s latest transgression will fall under forensic scrutiny.
 
The fact that Suarez himself, manager Brendan Rodgers and Ian Ayre, the managing director, have all issued swift apologies for the Uruguayan’s actions demonstrates that lessons have been learned.
 
Kenny Dalglish’s decision to wear a t-shirt bearing Suarez’s image painted perhaps the most depressing picture of what the Premier League has become over the past few years.
 
Many thousands of words have been used in the fight against racism, but that one image was simply disastrous for English football – no matter what Liverpool thought.
 

The club made the decision to stick by Suarez after his eight-match ban, though, as they had every right to do.
 
Yet you have to ask whether the chunk he attempted to take out of Ivanovic’s arm will signal the end of Suarez’s time in England. In the slightly twisted logic of the modern-day Premier League, perhaps racism will be acceptable but biting will not.
 
Perhaps, when all is said and done, we have to realise that the Premier League is no place to look for a tale of morality or ethics, in the same way that neither La Liga, Serie A or the Bundesliga would be.
 
When the stakes are so high, when staying in the top division or reaching the Champions League means so much, can we be surprised that what we consider acceptable is trampled underfoot?
 
And all this talk of Liverpool and what the club means – should we consider that? Few club are as proud of their history, after all.
 
From the eras of Shankly and Paisley through to the present day, Liverpool Football Club has always seemed to stand for something.
 
The shadow of Hillsborough has loomed large over the past few weeks, and last week’s death of Anne s – who spent 24 years campaigning for justice for her son, Kevin – brought it ever more into focus.
 
But please, no link between the past and the present here. Liverpool are now victims of circumstance in that talented players are indulged and allowed to get away with more than ever before.
 
Lines need to be drawn in the sand, but there seems to be no-one brave enough to do so. If Liverpool took the ultimate sanction and sacked Suarez, there would be no shortage of takers for the 26-year-old.
 
Why should they be the standard-bearers here? Their walk to the moral high ground would not necessarily be followed by others.
 
If Liverpool and Chelsea accepted Suarez and John Terry back into the fold after the accusations of racism levelled against them, why would an allegation of biting become the straw that broke the camel’s back?
 
Call it pessimism, call it realism, but it is a personal view that until there is a club or an individual willing to make a break with their financial and sporting imperatives, then that bridge will never be crossed. If Liverpool decide to sell Suarez they will receive €47 million from any potential buyer – and they certainly won’t care about his altercation with Ivanovic.
 
Liverpool have taken a stance, the only correct one available, by apologising for Suarez’s actions, but do you really expect any further action to be taken by the club? Do you think they would put their best player on the transfer list?
 
Maybe for the sake of football they should. But they would be trend-setters if they did so, and that is almost the last thing that should be expected in top-level football these days.
 
So, Luis, issue another apology after the ban is formally announced. Say you won’t do it again. But if you do, remember there is always another club willing to reward a player as richly talented as yourself – and who knows, maybe they’ll give you a full dental plan.

The former Liverpool defender expects the controversial striker to face serious disciplinary action by the FA for biting Branislav Ivanovic in their 2-2 draw with Chelsea

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson expects that Luis Suarez will miss out on the PFA Player of the Year award for the nasty streak which prompted him to bite Branislav Ivanovic in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea.

The striker scored an injury-time equaliser for the Reds to maintain his record as the Premier League’s top goalscorer but was earlier caught by TV cameras sinking his teeth into the Serbian’s arm, for which he and the club have swiftly apologised.

Lawrenson argues that the Uruguayan’s history of courting controversy since arriving in England will not only give his club headaches but prevent voting players from separating his behaviour from his play.

The 55-year-old told BBC Sport: “I don’t think he will win that [PFA award] anyway because a lot of people can’t differentiate between Suarez the player and Suarez the man.

“He’s a world-class player but he gives you world-class trouble.”

Suarez was involved in a similar incident for his previous club, Ajax, in 2010, when he was given a seven-match ban for biting then-PSV player Otman Bakkal and Lawrenson suspects that the striker could face a lengthy ban similar to the one handed out by the Dutch FA.

“If the Football Association decide[s] to take retrospective action and it’s clear-cut, then Suarez will be in big trouble,” he concluded.