“Violence, racism, playacting and such acts of indignity have no place in football.” We have all heard this line being spoken like its some commandment by the Footballing Gods. Well, there is a message for us mere mortals from one Bill Shankly: “Some believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you, it is much much more important than that”
Wherever we look in the modern game, footballers have become pansies. From Sergio Busquets and Dani Alves rolling around like people who have been shot after a hair from the opponent grazed them, to seeing Diego Costa, Didier Drogba and of course, Olympic diver Ashley Young going down in an empty penalty area – it’s becoming ridiculous.
And then there’s Luis Suarez. Ah, that polarizing agonizing twit of a striker. Ghosting around all defenders, terrorizing them with his smile. Not because it’s scary (though it really is) but because it bares teeth. Teeth he all too often uses as a means to get a taste of opponents. As if moving around like a firework with the ball at your feet and converting chance after chance was not enough. As if him being one of the best strikers in the world was not enough for defenders to fear, now they need fear his teeth too. And Suarez, lets not kid ourselves here – is a brilliant footballer. Right up there with the best in the last three years. Yet, too often, when he wants to – he goes all cannibal on the field. He’s done it at Ajax to Ottman Bakkal and at Liverpool to Branislav Ivanovic. And now he’s topped himself with a brilliant nibble on Chiellini’s shoulder. Nevermind the fact that the giant Italian might have had wild, insanely gratifying sex the night before and showed his lover’s bitemarks off to the ref (not saying that’s what happened, just saying). He probably bites Sturridge in training which is why they explode on the field. Maybe the fear of extra biting keeps Sturridge running amok for the Merseysiders.
