Luis Suárez

[James P]

So, at the moment it's still a "bite", as in we think that's what it was, but we can't actually prove it. And I think that is the way Fifa will have to view it as well, unless there's pictures we haven't been shown yet? At worst, three match ban for an attempted headbutt is my guess.

If you watch the footage on the BBC website, there is a clear movement of his mouth towards Chiellini's shoulder, who immediately reacts, and then shows the bite mark at the exact spot. It would take a conspiracy of Columbo proportions for them to fake the teeth marks in the exact spot where Suarez deliberately brings his mouth to Chiellini's shoulder.

If you look closely at the slow motion version of that footage, you can see what looks very much like the shirt stretching at the moment of contact, which would be consistent with a bite.

I don't think there's much else needed in the way of proof, to be honest.

[James P]

FFS i got excited when i saw you were the poster as I'm looking forward to your first review of the R

Not here yet Apparently will arrive some time in July, which is helpfully vague.

[G]

Has anybody defended him? I haven't anyway. I just don't think a bite is bad enough compared to other on field indiscretions to warrant the reaction it's getting. And I'd be the first to admit if he played for United I'd be spitting blood. But I'm a football fan, I'm allowed to be irrational, he's mental but he's in the top three players in the world and he's ours. I'm pretty sure 99% of people think he's mental and what he did was unacceptable. If he wasn't one of the best players in the world nobody would be arsed about it. He is though and he doesn't play for their clubs so they use this and anything else mental he does to try drive him away from us. I can imagine twitter and forums if they existed when Cantona did his Bruce Lee. Pretty similar I'd imagine.

[Fierce]

Well, i find what he does very silly, rather than grossly violent.

I also find the reaction overwhelming, it'll get as much news time or more as major disasters.

If he was inflicting Mike Tyson type damage with each bite, then i'd think differently, but i happen to believe his intent is not to really harm, otherwise he would with that set of gnashers.

He's 27 years old and this is the third time he's BITTEN somebody. Bitten!!

Although the comparison with Tyson is a good one. Both best in the world at what they do, both complete ****ing loonballs

[greenbloodred]

Not here yet Apparently will arrive some time in July, which is helpfully vague.

Ah well it's nice to have that to look forward to, awesome car

[baronvonskidmark]

Tony Barrett
Published 1 minute ago

Luis Suárez’s hopes of securing a dream move to Barcelona or Real Madrid hang in the balance after the Liverpool forward’s reputation suffered considerable damage as he appeared to bite an opponent for the third time in his career.

Giorgio Chiellini, the Italy defender, claimed that he was a victim of a Suárez bite when the pair clashed during the second half of Uruguay’s 1-0 win over Italy. Previously, Suárez was banned for seven matches for biting Otman Bakkal, the PSV Eindhoven midfield player, while at Ajax and was also suspended for ten matches for a similar assault on Branislav Ivanovic, the Chelsea defender, during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with the Barclays Premier League club in April 2013.

The common denominator on each occasion — along with Suárez’s own appalling behaviour — was that the incidents occurred at a time when he was considering his own future. The question now is whether he has undermined his chances of joining either Barcelona or Real, with the two Spanish clubs having to decide whether signing such a recidivist would be worth the trouble.

In recent weeks, various members of Suárez’s inner circle have gone public on his desire to move to La Liga. “The best solution” for the 27-year-old would be “to go to Spain” Gustavo Balbi, his father-in-law, said yesterday. Earlier in the summer, Suárez’s solicitor, Alejandro Balbi, admitted that “if there is such a big offer from Real Madrid, it would be very difficult to say no”.

The messages were not even discreet, but they have had the desired effect with Spain’s two powerhouses showing increasing signs of being ready to fight for Suárez’s signature. Now, both clubs will be faced with the reality that if they do win the race (if one now takes place), they will be acquiring one of the biggest pariahs in world football and all that goes with him.

Liverpool have grown used to Suárez and his baggage, but until now neither his notoriety nor his volatility has tempted them to sever links with a player who has established himself as one of the world’s best despite his antics. Before yesterday’s events, they were facing up to a second successive summer in which their ability to retain Suárez’s services would be tested. Now, they appear to be facing another, but equally familiar, test — rehabilitating an individual who appears unable to learn from his mistakes.

After his bite on Ivanovic, Suárez showed his contrition with a single tweet: “I am truly very sorry. I hope that all the people who I have offended at Anfield last Sunday will grant me forgiveness.” He also demonstrated his desire to improve his behaviour by attending sessions with Dr Steve Peters and his work with the psychiatrist paid off last season with Suárez being named player of the year by the Professional Footballers Association and the Football Writers Association.

So confident was Suárez that he had put his bad ways behind him that he felt able to round on his critics in “the English media” after Uruguay’s defeat of England last week. His anger had been sparked by the front page of The Sun on the day of the game, which highlighted his penchant for biting. “Too many people in England laughed about my attitude over the last few years,” he complained on Monday.

Only 24 hours later he offered his critics all the ammunition they could ever wish for with an act that brought himself into further disrepute.

A Fifa spokesman said that its disciplinary committee will wait for the referee’s report “in order to evaluate the matter”. Suárez will likely be punished heavily, the only doubts surrounding the length of his suspension. Fifa’s disciplinary code sets a maximum ban of 24 matches or two years, but the longest ban in World Cup history was eight games for Italy’s Mauro Tassotti for breaking Luis Enrique’s nose against Spain in 1994 with an elbow.

It seems likely that any ban will apply only to international football, but there could also be repercussions for Liverpool. Standard Chartered, the club’s shirt sponsor, went public on its disquiet after Suárez failed to shake Patrice Evra’s hand in February 2012 after serving a seven-match ban for racially abusing the Manchester United defender, while Ian Ayre, Liverpool’s chief executive, later admitted that the club’s brand had been damaged by the controversy resulting from the Uruguayan’s bite on Ivanovic.

“Luis is a street-fighter. He is what he is,” Ayre said in September 2013. “We have worked a lot with Luis since the last incident with Ivanovic. He has been prepared to commit to that sort of work on his character.” The intention of that work was to ensure that Suárez remained a Liverpool player for as long as possible. It is therefore ironic that his latest fall from grace appears to have increased the chances of him staying at Anfield.

[Scratch]

If you watch the footage on the BBC website, there is a clear movement of his mouth towards Chiellini's shoulder, who immediately reacts, and then shows the bite mark at the exact spot. It would take a conspiracy of Columbo proportions for them to fake the teeth marks in the exact spot where Suarez deliberately brings his mouth to Chiellini's shoulder.

If you look closely at the slow motion version of that footage, you can see what looks very much like the shirt stretching at the moment of contact, which would be consistent with a bite.

I don't think there's much else needed in the way of proof, to be honest.

But crucially, no images of biting, no gnashers on display, just the circumstantial evidence mentioned above?

And those teeth marks just look shopped to me...how's he got enough force to leave an indentation like that, without teeth marks the other side, through his shirt as well?

[Vermilion]

He's 27 years old and this is the third time he's BITTEN somebody. Bitten!!

Although the comparison with Tyson is a good one. Both best in the world at what they do, both complete ****ing loonballs

The thing is, how many chances does a person deserve ?

Some people need more than others before they get it right, before they finally overcome/control the flaw in their personality.

If he was a total **** off the field rather than a devoted family man i would maybe have a different opinion, he really lets himself and his family down when he does this, and i think he knows it all too well, and i think he wishes it didn't happen.

[Kenneth]

They're not shopped ffs.

[Daniel 7]

You know what though? Players come and players go - sure we love him on the pitch and he's a fantastic footballer, but he can be replaced. Ok, so it wouldn't be exactly the same, but look at players like Sanchez and James Rodriguez - it might not be such a bad idea, they would be almighty signings. He might pick up injuries now after the knee surgery, as well as having the mental deficiencies. He's been worth the hassle for the previous two **** ups, he got Liverpool back into the Premier League and he gave us fans an unforgettable set of displays, but whether or not he's worth the continual controversy and tiresome brain farts, I don't know. I genuinely don't.

My head says SELL!

But I'd miss him a bit!

[dom9]

But crucially, no images of biting, no gnashers on display, just the circumstantial evidence mentioned above?

And those teeth marks just look shopped to me...how's he got enough force to leave an indentation like that, without teeth marks the other side, through his shirt as well?

The image of the teeth marks is on the BBC website. Do you think they would have got it from Twitter or the source photographer / agency?

[Slinky Skills]

to both of these posts. All of those posters who are saying that it's nothing are displaying some of the worst examples of blinkered vision imaginable. If Rooney had done this we'd all be calling for a public execution. Suarez has done this three times now, plus the Evra incident.

I was one of those saying we should get rid after the Ivanovic incident. I feel that even more strongly now. If we genuinely believe the idea that no one is bigger than the club then we have to take a stand over this. Regardless of whether or not you believe biting someone to be a major transgression (I'm firmly in the camp of it being an utterly unacceptable act), there are too many other issues with this to let it pass.

Firstly, he has totally let down his national team mates, management and fans on the biggest stage in the world. Aside from his appalling action, they have **** all chance of progressing without him.

Secondly, he has given a big two fingers to Brendan and the owners, who have backed him regardless of his previous behaviour on the basis that this wasn't his normal character. Well, apparently it is, and he doesn't give a ****. He is dragging the club's reputation through the mire, and giving the media and other fans all the ammunition they need to attack the club.

Thirdly, he has given two fingers to all us LFC fans. He had the backing of the majority of fans after the Evra incident, and then the Ivanovic incident. His thanks was to agitate for a transfer. And now, after a great season he lets everyone down again with this. And all the while he continues to moan about his treatment by the British media. Plus I don't think that he ever actually apologised for the Evra or Ivanovic incidents, so clearly has **** all remorse for his actions.

To those posters who think that we can't lose as he'll either sell for a load of money or have to stay, what if the manager and owners feel that he has to go, but we end up getting far less than his real value as a result of his actions? How does that mean we aren't affected?

I don't care how good a footballer he is right now, I just want the club's name not be to continuously dragged through the mud. I want players who want to play for the club, understand what it means to play for the club, and respect its values and traditions. I don't want us to become the most reviled club in the country because we continue to defend someone whose actions are indefensible.

Great post that James.

Agree with the whole thing, it's ****ing shocking behaviour and it makes me think the whole Evra thing happened and he is capable of racism.

Worst of all he's taken the piss out of all of us and let us and the entire club down.



I feel sorry for Shaggy more than anyone. He's defended Luis Suarez to the hilt, continuously on a regular basis. Been his best supporter and he's gone and done this ****ing nonsense again.

Bet he's gutted.

[Alex]

Too be fair I think it is.

Doesn't change much. The way he reacted was not of someone who got head butted on the shoulder.

[Daniel 7]

Great post that James.

Agree with the whole thing, it's ****ing shocking behaviour and it makes me think the whole Evra thing happened and he is capable of racism.

Worst of all he's taken the piss out of all of us and let us and the entire club down.



I feel sorry for Shaggy more than anyone. He's defended Luis Suarez to the hilt, continuously on a regular basis. Been his best supporter and he's gone and done this ****ing nonsense again.

Bet he's gutted.

Feel more sorry for the people at the club who have put their faith in him than any supporter, tbh! Feel more sorry for his wife and kids who just know that there will be a media ****storm that they can't get away from. He's created a horrible situation for his family.

[G]

Alot of journos I see tweeting about are all saying alleged bite, they aren't sure yet so are covering their arses.

Anyway

The pic with the bite marks is on twitter in two forms, one where the teeth marks are clear and one where they aren't there at all. One of them is shopped.