Luis Suárez

[Roboklopp]

Really? I think people react like they do to bites because they are so out of the ordinary, and almost animalistic.

There would be less uproar if Suarez had punched someone square in the face.

I know what I'd rather be on the end of.

Keane's pre-meditated knee-high leg breaker on Haaland? Snapped his leg - "take that you cunt" - much less uproar and 'outrage' than this.

I'm not condoning it - it's crazy and the fact he's done now three times is bat**** mental and he clearly has a problem. But I'd rather be on the end of a Suarez bite than a punch or elbow to the face, a headbutt or a leg breaker. Every time. Many worse things happen on a football pitch than biting - but not much more unusual.

That's pretty much what I said above. Biting crosses some sort of savage, animalistic line that triggers people's reactions. I'd much rather that than a broken nose, lost teeth or ti be crippled though.

[Shaggy]

I've explained the pics in a previous page. The mirror pic is a Getty one with lots of added red. The one showing dark marks has had the colour/contrast adjusted (whole pic) to make the marks looks much darker than they were. Neither are 'fake' as such but have been doctored in a sense.

Ah okay, missed that.

Doctored pics AOTS. What a joke.

[Kenneth]

Yep. Any domestic/club ban would be unprecedented (I think) and ridiculous.

I'd love it FIFA went against the English narrative and handed out a "we're not really that arsed" 4-5 game ban for violent conduct.

I suspect they might. Won't calm down things in the uk though. I expect the pfa to make a statement about the need to protect players from him today.

[Roboklopp]

Don't kid yourself. This was an unprovoked attack. Suarez sought him out. It was deliberate. He obviously made a meal of it, but you still have to say that Chiellini was largely blameless in this.

Doesn't mean he didn't say something beforehand tho which Luis sat on then went all bitey.

[MrMichael]

Yep I do.

The Keane incident was an exception and he should have been punished appropriately. It was premeditated and disgusting. And he got off lightly. It wasn't the norm.

Most bad / high tackles are made in the heat of the moment and are the result of a mistimed or over eager challenge for the ball. They rarely result in a serious injury, although that happens occasionally.

So in my view, a bite in the heat of the moment is not dissimilar to a heat of moment bad tackle in some ways. But a bite is vulgar and it's completely socially unacceptable, particularly if you're a multiple offender. And there's no way he's going for the ball with his teeth.

I'd rather be kicked in the leg than be bitten by someone.

Ok, what about elbows then? No going for the ball there.

I agree biting is ridiculous and grim and obviously has no place in football, but in terms of potential for serious injury many other and just as deliberate events happen on football fields relatively often. He deserves to have the book thrown at him in terms of an international ban, but when you consider the punishments that have been handed out for premeditated hospitalisation of other players, giving him more than that would be silly imo

[rodo]

wonder what the press reaction in spain is like

[Harv]

Chiellini had been kicking lumps out of him all afternoon FFS.

[Kenneth]

wonder what the press reaction in spain is like

As he doesn't play in Spain and hasn't bitten anyone previously there then I would think it is far more muted.

[kev776]

Not from what I understand. The maximum penalty is 24 matches, which can also include domestic games. It is not often this has been done, but the possibility is there.

German radio is reporting that FIFA will seek a total worldwide ban for 24 months and he will only be allowed to return after a full course of recognised treatment. They also said some Professor of high standing in Berlin has spoken already about biting as a basic animal survival instinct and is not normal in a balanced human being.

Normally I would laugh at this but the professor is a FIFA advisor so may carry some influence.

[dom9]

Ok, what about elbows then? No going for the ball there.

I agree biting is ridiculous and grim and obviously has no place in football, but in terms of potential for serious injury many other and just as deliberate events happen on football fields relatively often. He deserves to have the book thrown at him in terms of an international ban, but when you consider the punishments that have been handed out for premeditated hospitalisation of other players, giving him more than that would be silly imo

Elbows, head butts, punches, biting. All unacceptable. Of course. And I never suggested otherwise.

I was answering the question of weather a bite is worse than a knee high tackle. All of the above are imo.

There's only one way to answer this definitely though. We need to start an est poll to rank this ****.

[kev776]

Biting is as bad as spitting, the potential to inject bodily fluids is gruesome.

[kev776]

Rickeeeeee may be earning his beer money sooner than expected.

[rodo]

As he doesn't play in Spain and hasn't bitten anyone previously there then I would think it is far more muted.

making it easier to move there?

[Leyton388]

I'm still in utter disbelief of what happened. However with the press witch hunt of FIFA i can see them not giving a **** what the uk press say and give him a 4 game ban.

[Roboklopp]

No way was that a premeditated ploy to facilitate a move to Spain- doing well for his country in the WC would mean far too much to him.