With the Liga BBVA season is set to begin in 20 days, the Uruguayan
striker is hoping that Friday's CAS hearing will allow him to play
Despite making a multi-million pound move to Barcelona, Luis Suarez has been in the suspension room since his bite on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.
As though his previous suspension for biting and racially abusing opponents was not enough warning, he did it again and FIFA slapped a four-month club ban and nine international match ban on the forward. The international match ban will hit Uruguay hard because their star man has all but missed next year’s Copa America in Chile in which Uruguay are the defending champions.
The four-month club ban is even more severe as Suarez cannot be involved in any football related activity, which includes training or entering any stadium.
Uruguay appealed the ban to FIFA but it was rejected. Suarez will now appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports to give the final verdict. The hearing will take place on 8 August.
This represents Barcelona's last hope. The ban may be frozen during the appeal process and that would enable the former Liverpool man to train and play, but if the final verdict is stuck on banning Suarez, he might serve longer than his original return date of October 26, 2013 pending on how the CAS deals with the case.
Barca will be hoping that the former Ajax man can return to the pitch in time to make his debut in La Liga's opening weekend, even if no conclusion is drawn, however, a freeze on the ruling would at least allow the Uruguayan to train and begin to integrate with his teammates.
Liverpool, who have stuck with Suarez throughout his troublemaking stints at Anfield, finally reached their tolerance threshold and sold their star man, handing over the burden of his misdemeanours to Barca. Bids for him were rejected from Arsenal last summer when he was serving a ten-league game ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. This time they probably had to let go since club’s reputation is at stake. Liverpool sticking by him in the wake of the racial abuse and bite incident received criticism from many corners. Such incident tarnished Liverpool’s image and the last thing the club wanted would be another similar offence.
As though his previous suspension for biting and racially abusing opponents was not enough warning, he did it again and FIFA slapped a four-month club ban and nine international match ban on the forward. The international match ban will hit Uruguay hard because their star man has all but missed next year’s Copa America in Chile in which Uruguay are the defending champions.
The four-month club ban is even more severe as Suarez cannot be involved in any football related activity, which includes training or entering any stadium.
Uruguay appealed the ban to FIFA but it was rejected. Suarez will now appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports to give the final verdict. The hearing will take place on 8 August.
This represents Barcelona's last hope. The ban may be frozen during the appeal process and that would enable the former Liverpool man to train and play, but if the final verdict is stuck on banning Suarez, he might serve longer than his original return date of October 26, 2013 pending on how the CAS deals with the case.
Barca will be hoping that the former Ajax man can return to the pitch in time to make his debut in La Liga's opening weekend, even if no conclusion is drawn, however, a freeze on the ruling would at least allow the Uruguayan to train and begin to integrate with his teammates.
Liverpool, who have stuck with Suarez throughout his troublemaking stints at Anfield, finally reached their tolerance threshold and sold their star man, handing over the burden of his misdemeanours to Barca. Bids for him were rejected from Arsenal last summer when he was serving a ten-league game ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. This time they probably had to let go since club’s reputation is at stake. Liverpool sticking by him in the wake of the racial abuse and bite incident received criticism from many corners. Such incident tarnished Liverpool’s image and the last thing the club wanted would be another similar offence.
Suarez was allowed to transfer to another club under the ban and now has moved to Catalan supremos FC Barcelona for a fee of £75 million, which is nearly triple the amount Liverpool spent to buy him from Ajax Amsterdam in 2011.
As things stand, Suarez is out until late October, however, should the appeal go well on Friday, his period of absence may be reduced. FIFPro have argued that the sanction lacks clarity, while the Uruguayan FA and media have heavily criticised FIFA for their draconian measures.
Have FIFA gone too far with their ban?
Suarez might have committed a bite-related offence for the third time but does that warrant such a lengthy ban and going to the extreme of banning him from training or entering any stadium?
The forward’s previous misbehaviour is the main reason behind FIFA’s lengthy and extreme ban despite having two previous punishments he has not improved his comportment. That he did it at a FIFA organised tournament and that he did not show remorse for his actions, though he later apologised also increased the governing body’s ire.
It might be acceptable that Suarez is banned from playing, but his exclusion from training with teammates and entering a stadium is very severe if not somehow cruel. An exclusion from training means Suarez would have lost a great deal of match fitness when he returns from the ban. The only option is for him to train alone. That he cannot enter into a stadium means he cages himself at his home to watch games on television. These two conditions have put Suarez in a prison cell.
Is the length of the ban worth it? FIFA claims it is as justice must be served for someone who didn’t learn from the past.
Barcelona will now incur the ban of Suarez unless the CAS alters the ruling on Friday, which seems unlikely. If Suarez ends up serving this lengthy ban, is there any guarantee that he will be at his best behaviour at the Camp Nou following his return? That is yet to be seen but bearing in mind he has been punished for the same offence three times, the time has surely come to turn over a new leaf.
If Suarez does commit any bite or violence related offence while in Barcelona, the Catalan giants might well regret his purchase. Barcelona have reportedly included a bite clause in his lucrative contract that would see his pay reduced if he bites an opponent, but is reducing salary enough to prevent a player from committing the same offence again?
Even fines are not effective. If Suarez does bite again, he would need to probably go seek rehabilitation treatment as suggested by FIFPro, which should have been included in this ban to cure him of the illness. If rehabilitation doesn’t work, then Luis Suarez should call his time on football despite being a player with superb technical and physical abilities and having a career that has glittered with goals.
As things stand, Suarez is out until late October, however, should the appeal go well on Friday, his period of absence may be reduced. FIFPro have argued that the sanction lacks clarity, while the Uruguayan FA and media have heavily criticised FIFA for their draconian measures.
Have FIFA gone too far with their ban?
Suarez might have committed a bite-related offence for the third time but does that warrant such a lengthy ban and going to the extreme of banning him from training or entering any stadium?
The forward’s previous misbehaviour is the main reason behind FIFA’s lengthy and extreme ban despite having two previous punishments he has not improved his comportment. That he did it at a FIFA organised tournament and that he did not show remorse for his actions, though he later apologised also increased the governing body’s ire.
It might be acceptable that Suarez is banned from playing, but his exclusion from training with teammates and entering a stadium is very severe if not somehow cruel. An exclusion from training means Suarez would have lost a great deal of match fitness when he returns from the ban. The only option is for him to train alone. That he cannot enter into a stadium means he cages himself at his home to watch games on television. These two conditions have put Suarez in a prison cell.
Is the length of the ban worth it? FIFA claims it is as justice must be served for someone who didn’t learn from the past.
Barcelona will now incur the ban of Suarez unless the CAS alters the ruling on Friday, which seems unlikely. If Suarez ends up serving this lengthy ban, is there any guarantee that he will be at his best behaviour at the Camp Nou following his return? That is yet to be seen but bearing in mind he has been punished for the same offence three times, the time has surely come to turn over a new leaf.
If Suarez does commit any bite or violence related offence while in Barcelona, the Catalan giants might well regret his purchase. Barcelona have reportedly included a bite clause in his lucrative contract that would see his pay reduced if he bites an opponent, but is reducing salary enough to prevent a player from committing the same offence again?
Even fines are not effective. If Suarez does bite again, he would need to probably go seek rehabilitation treatment as suggested by FIFPro, which should have been included in this ban to cure him of the illness. If rehabilitation doesn’t work, then Luis Suarez should call his time on football despite being a player with superb technical and physical abilities and having a career that has glittered with goals.
