The real Suarez scandal: according to the FA, a bite on the arm is much worse than a broken leg
Like most others, my reaction to the now-infamous Luis Suarez bite was disbelief. Even for Suarez, this came as a shock. I suppose it shouldn’t have, considering his track record. Accompanied by the Evra race row, the handball that knocked Ghana out of the 2010 World Cup, another biting incident when he played in the Eridvisie, and countless other controversies, this seems to be the latest attempt by the Uruguayan to become the pantomime villain of world football.
There seems to have been more outrage about this than all the other incidents combined. Biting an opponent is obviously wrong and, undoubtedly, he should have instantly been shown a red card for violent conduct and currently be serving the ensuing suspension.
Instead, he’s been handed a ten-match ban by the furious FA and been the subject of an incalculable number of articles calling for Liverpool to sack him immediately. The Daily Mail even wheeled out a kid who had been bitten by a young Suarez fan during a schoolyard kickabout.
The issue for me is that other than Chelsea fans – who understandably feel aggrieved that he remained on the pitch to score Liverpool’s equaliser – has much damage been done to anyone else? Branislav Ivanovic was checked for lasting injuries at the end of the match. Verdict: he has none. He started Chelsea’s next match and will continue his career as if nothing happened.
With this in mind, why is Suarez serving a longer suspension than, say, those players who recklessly tackle opponents with the intention of ‘letting them know they’re there’ and end up breaking their legs?
Two notable examples of this are Ryan Shawcross, who broke Aaron Ramsey’s leg in two places in 2010 and Martin Taylor, who broke Eduardo’s leg and fractured his ankle in 2008. Both served a standard three-match ban. Ramsey says it took him three years to return to the form he enjoyed prior to the tackle. I would argue that Martin’s tackle ended Eduardo’s Arsenal career – the Croatian never fully got back to the standard at which he played pre-injury and was sold to Shakhtar Donetsk in 2010.
So, why was there no all-round condemnation of Shawcross and Taylor? Where was the call for Stoke and Birmingham to sack them, for the FA to ban them for ten games, for them to pay a hefty fine?
The FA are a joke, Fellaini gets a 3 match ban for a blatant and dangerous head butt and Suarez gets 10, pack of overpaid Manchester United Executives
Or for that matter having broken Alonso’s leg previously, Lampard went to ground sliding in on the now recovered Alonso then sneered to his pal Terry as if to say did you see what I just did, that’ll keep his mind distracted during this game whenever he’s got the ball. The hypocrites that booed Suarez’s inclusion in the team of the year and his omission from player of the year whilst a diving cheat is obviously something for the kids to look up to in Gareth Bale. Foul mouthed and spitting in front of millions of TV viewers is also very acceptable form s of behavior and copied nay practiced to perfection by the young admirers of others who don’t warrant such outrage because they aren’t media scapegoats and targets. Hypocritical and corrupt at every level for the last 25 years.
Great article and straight to the point
i have to say that the FA seem to have made more trouble than the Liverpool player himself, setting a standard has to come from both sides
Suarez has immediately apologized and excepted his ban
The FA on the other hand seem to go with the knee jerk reaction of the media, the public then don’t form there own true opinion and go with the lazy option of just going with the media hate campaign towards Suarez
the FA have a lot to answer for and come across as a borderline corrupt organization
its time for the English FA to have a complete over haul and put real people in place who are in touch with reality
I don’t think it’s even the leg breaking incidents they do nothing about. What about when Balotelli stamped on a players head? What about McManaman’s tackle vs Newcastle? What abotu Aguero’s recent challenge? What about Robert Huth on Suarez?
All either went unpunished or had a 3 match ban.
I can understand legs being broken on challenges as that is football, you slide in and things happen. it’s the two footed challenges and two footed stamps that break legs that th FA need to dish out punishments for. Maybe the player should be banned until the other player returns to training!
Spot on. The FA now has it all to do. I do not mind Suarez getting a ban (10 games propably to much though) but what are the FA going to do next time someone spits, elbows, kicks and so on. Should be interessting…
According to the FA, a bite on the arm is much worse than a broken leg!!!
To the FA then,i’ll let you bite me while i break your leg and we’ll see should i say.
What about England international Defoe eating Mascheranos finger. and Huthe trampolining on Suarez’s back. Not to mention Felanis elbowing anyone who come near him. Oh and our wonderful Prime Minister who left his child behind in the pub.
apparently its even worse than racism
fa is a corruct org.
f.a are bunch of shit..