Three years on from one of the most notorious episodes in his career, Luis Suarez can revel in being a treble winner as well as forming part of the most prolific footballing trident in history alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar at Barcelona.
However, nothing he ever does in the game will erase the memory of his distasteful act during the 2014 World Cup.
Call it frustration, call it competitive spirit, frankly call it whatever you damn well like because biting another player has no place on a football pitch.
Almost 80 minutes had been played between Uruguay and Italy in their World Cup game which was a ‘win or go home’ encounter.
Evidently, the pressure to deliver on the biggest stage had got to the centre-forward, because there was simply no need for what came next.
Unable to escape the shackles of man mountain Giorgio Chiellini, Suarez sunk his teeth into the Italian’s left shoulder. If that were not reprehensible enough, the rolling around which followed as Suarez held his teeth, left an even more bitter taste, if you’ll forgive such an analogy.
Football is a man’s game that does tend to bring out the darker side on occasions, but there is still a line that’s theoretically drawn and which doesn’t get crossed.
Suarez hadn’t just crossed it before, he’d strode right over it. Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic took his fancy at Anfield as had Ottmar Bakkal when playing for Ajax. Two bites on opponents was already one too many so perhaps the incident with Chiellini hinted at possible mental issues.
A four-month ban and associated fine didn’t pacify many who wanted to see a longer punishment or even a life ban for the Uruguayan.
Chiellini, to his credit, distanced himself from the incident at the time and has even buried the hatchet recently with his contemporary.
Barcelona weren’t overly bothered by the furore that erupted either. A club that likes to think of themselves as the exemplar were not only going through internal strife in 2014, but they’d now signed possibly the most unpopular player on the planet.
Nevertheless, neither Chiellini’s or Barca’s forgiveness should gloss over an act that is utterly despicable.
In every other walk of life, the perpetrator would be arrested for common assault so Luis Suarez is incredibly lucky that in the world of football ‘nine lives’ are afforded to their exponents.
His is one piece of footballing history that will be remembered for all of the wrong reasons…
