Full name: Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz
Date of birth: 24 January 1987 (age 25)
Place of birth: Salto, Uruguay
Height: 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Playing position: Forward
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlwis ˈswareθ]; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Uruguayan national team.
Suárez was born in Salto, Uruguay, and moved with his family to Montevideo, where he grew up with a single mother and six siblings. In 2005, he began his professional career at Nacional in Montevideo. In 2006, at age 19, he moved to the Netherlands to play for Groningen in the Eredivisie. Suárez transferred to Ajax in 2007 and made a major impact at the Amsterdam club. In 2008–09 he was named club Player of the Year and he led Ajax in scoring, although he was suspended for both fighting with a teammate and for getting seven yellow cards during the season. The following year he was named the club captain, led the Eredivisie in scoring with 35 goals in 33 games and was named Dutch Footballer of the Year. He scored 49 goals in all competitions and Ajax won the KNVB Cup. In the 2010–11 season he scored his one hundredth Ajax goal and joined an elite group of players from the club, including Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp, to do so. That season he was also involved in an incident in which he bit the shoulder of PSV player Otman Bakkal during a game. He was branded the "Cannibal of Ajax" and suspended seven games. During his suspension, in January 2011, he transferred to Liverpool for €26.5 million (£22.8 million). During his partial season at Liverpool, Suárez helped the club move from twelfth in the league in mid-January to finish sixth.
Suárez represented Uruguay at the youth level in the 2007 U-20 World Cup. In 2007 he scored in his senior team debut against Colombia but was also sent off for a second yellow card. In the 2010 World Cup he played an important role in Uruguay's fourth place finish and scored three goals. He was also involved in one of the tournament's most controversial incidents in the final minutes of extra time against Ghana; he prevented a goal with his hands to save his team from losing. He was given a red card, but the ensuing penalty kick was missed; Uruguay advanced after winning the shootout. He was strongly criticized for this action,[4] but also lauded as a hero[5] for sacrificing himself for his team.[4][6] In 2011, Suárez scored four goals for Uruguay as they won a record fifteenth Copa América, and he was named Player of the Tournament.
Club career
Nacional
Suárez joined local side Nacional's youth team at the age of 14. At the age of 15, Suárez was red carded for headbutting a referee.[8] One night he was caught drinking and partying, and his coach threatened Suárez would never play unless he started playing football more seriously.[7][6] In May 2005, at age 18, he made his first team debut against Junior de Barranquilla in the Copa Libertadores. He scored his first goal in September 2005[9] and helped Nacional win the 2005–06 Uruguayan league with 10 goals in 27 games.
Suárez was found by a group of scouts from the Dutch club Groningen when they were in Uruguay to watch another player. As they watched, he won and converted a penalty and scored a "wonder goal" against Defensor. After watching only that game, the scouts approached Suárez and said they wanted to buy him;[5] after the season, Groningen paid Nacional €800,000 for him. Suárez was thrilled to go to Europe because his girlfriend, and current wife, Sofia Balbi, had moved to Barcelona; they had maintained a long-distance relationship for a year and he wanted to move closer to her.
Groningen
Suárez was 19 years old when he went to play for Groningen. Initially he struggled because he did not know Dutch or English, and he played on the second team to adjust to the Dutch game. His teammate and fellow Uruguayan, Bruno Silva, helped him settle into living in the Netherlands and playing for a new team. He worked hard to learn Dutch and his teammates respected him for his efforts with the language. Suárez scored goals for Groningen, but he also had disciplinary problems; in one five-game stretch in January 2007, he scored four goals but received three yellow cards and one red card. Suárez ended with 10 goals in 29 league appearances to help Groningen finish eighth in the 2006–07 Eredivisie.He also scored in a 4–2 loss to Partizan Belgrade in his European debut.
Ajax saw potential in Suárez and offered Groningen €3.5 million for him, but Groningen rejected the deal. Suárez was upset and brought his case to the KNVB’s arbitration committee to try to facilitate the sale. The arbitration committee ruled against him on 9 August 2007, but that same day, Ajax increased their offer to €7.5 million and Groningen accepted.
Ajax
Suárez signed a five-year contract with Ajax and made his club debut in the Champions League qualifier against Slavia Prague. He scored one goal in his Eredivisie debut for the club and two goals in his home debut at the Amsterdam Arena. Ajax finished second in league in the 2007–08 season and Suárez scored 17 goals in 33 league appearances, setting up a blossoming striking partnership with league top scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
During the 2008–09 season, Ajax coach Marco van Basten noted how Suárez played an important role in many of Ajax’s goals, but van Basten was also upset by the number of yellow cards Suárez received. Suárez was suspended for a game because he was given his seventh yellow card of the season against Utrecht in a 2–0 win. He was also suspended after a halftime altercation with teammate Albert Luque over a free kick. Ajax ended the season in third place. Suárez scored 22 goals in 31 league gamesand finished second in scoring tables, one goal behind Mounir El Hamdaoui of AZ; Suárez was named Ajax Player of the Year.
Before the 2009–10 season, Martin Jol replaced van Basten as coach. After the departure of previous captain, Thomas Vermaelen, to Arsenal, Jol named Suárez team captain. Suárez started scoring goals early in the season with a hat trick in a 4–1 win against RKC Waalwijk.[29] Suárez had a number of multiple-goal games throughout the season including four goals in wins over Slovan Bratislava in the Europe League play-off round,[30] VVV-Venlo and Roda JC Kerkrade. He scored three in the first half in another win over VVV-Venlo[34] and six against WHC Wezep in the KNVB Cup as Ajax won by a club-record margin of 14–1. Suárez scored two more in the second leg of the KNVB Cup final and finished as the tournament's top scorer.[37] Ajax won the Cup final 6–1 on aggregate over Feyenoord, but they finished second in the league behind FC Twente. Suárez ended the season as the Eredivisie's top scorer with 35 goals in 33 games and had 49 goals in all competitions. He was named Ajax Player of the Year for the second straight time[26] and Dutch Footballer of the Year.
Other European clubs began to show their interest in Suárez because of the number of goals Suárez was scoring for Ajax; his play that summer at the 2010 World Cup increased their interest. Soon after Suárez returned from his World Cup campaign, he scored his one hundredth goal for Ajax in a 1–1 home draw against PAOK in a Champions League qualifier. This put him in an elite group of players, including Johan Cruyff, van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp, to score 100 or more goals with the club. Suárez continued his scoring run with a hat trick against De Graafschap in a 5–0 win.
On 20 November 2010, Suárez was in trouble again when he bit PSV's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during a 0–0 draw. Ajax suspended him for two games and fined him an undisclosed amount which the club said they would donate to a "good cause".[42] The Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf branded Suárez the "Cannibal of Ajax". The KNVB increased Suárez's suspension to seven league matches.[43] Suárez apologized for his actions through a video he uploaded to his Facebook page. During the suspension Ajax was in contact with other European clubs interested in Suárez; on 28 January 2011 they accepted a €26.5 million (£22.8 million) offer for Suárez from English club Liverpool. Despite leaving while suspended, Suárez departed Ajax on good terms, and he was given a farewell sendoff after an Ajax game. During the sendoff an Ajax coach spoke to him and the crowd and said how the club wished he could stay longer; the crowd applauded their agreement and fireworks followed. Ajax ended the 2010–11 season as Eredivisie champions and Suárez was given a winner’s medal for his seven goals in 13 appearances.
While he was at Ajax, Suárez scored 111 goals in 159 appearances. Suárez recognized Ajax legends, van Basten, Bergkamp, Frank de Boer and Henk ten Cate, for teaching him about football during his time at the club. He noted that van Basten taught him the techniques and movement required for playing forward and he learned from all of them to be composed in front of the goal and not react to fouls.
Liverpool
Until the arrival of Andy Carroll from Newcastle United a few hours later, Suárez was Liverpool's most expensive signing.[50] The next day, Suárez passed his medical[51] and signed a five-and-a-half-year deal through 2016.[44][52] Suárez requested the number seven jersey, but at the time did not realize that it had been worn by Liverpool "legends" such as his new manager Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan. After he learned about the players who previously wore that number, he said he appreciated the expectations associated with it. Suárez made his Liverpool debut on 2 February against Stoke City at Anfield in a 2–0 win; he came on as a substitute and scored Liverpool's second goal in front of the Kop in the sixty-third minute.[50][54] He was one of Liverpool’s best players during his partial season and helped Liverpool go from twelfth in the league in mid-January[55] to finish sixth.[57] He finished the 2010–11 Premier League season with four goals in 13 games.
Suárez began Liverpool's 2011–12 Premier League season by missing a penalty and scoring the opening goal in a 1–1 draw against Sunderland.[58] Suárez followed this up by coming on as a substitute against Arsenal to be heavily involved in Liverpool's first goal and then score the second. The 2–0 win was the first against Arsenal in London for eleven years.[59] He was awarded man of the match against Bolton, Suárez then scored the second goal for Liverpool in his first Merseyside derby against Everton in a 2–0 victory.
On 1 November, Suarez was named as one of the 23 finalists for the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
On 7 December, the FA charged Suárez with improper conduct "in relation to an alleged gesture made towards the Fulham fans" at the end of Liverpool's match at Craven Cottage on 5 December. Suárez was on the receiving end of Fulham supporter's chants calling him a "cheat", and he was photographed making what appeared to be an obscene hand gesture in their direction following the final whistle. Suárez admitted the charge and this resulted in a one match ban.
2011 racial abuse incident and 2012 handshake incident
After a 1–1 draw against Manchester United on 15 October 2011, Suárez was accused of racially abusing Patrice Evra and the Football Association opened up an investigation into the incident. Suárez wrote on his Twitter and Facebook pages that he was upset by the accusation and denied the claims. On 16 November, the FA announced it would charge Suárez with "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour contrary to FA rules", including "a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Patrice Evra." Liverpool F.C. released a statement announcing Suárez would plead innocent, adding that they would "remain fully supportive" of him.
On 20 December, the FA concluded a seven-day hearing, handing Suárez an eight-match ban and a £40,000 fine for racially abusing Evra.
Following the FA's ruling, Liverpool issued a statement which claimed the club was "very surprised and disappointed" at the ban, highlighted that the player was not accused of being racist, and cited Suarez's mixed race family background, as well as his involvement with multicultural projects.[71] The club were criticized for attacking of the moral integrity of the FA, having claimed during their statement that "the FA were determined to bring charges... even before interviewing [Suarez] at the beginning of November", although the panel overseeing the investigation were independent of the FA.[70]
Following the announcement of the verdict, Suarez received support from a number of colleagues who believed it to be unjust. To demonstrate support for Suarez, his team-mates and manager wore a T-shirt bearing Suarez's name and image before a match against Wigan. The T-shirts provoked criticism that the gesture conflicted with football's anti-racism campaign Kick It Out.
On 31 December, the FA released the contents of their findings. In a 115-page report, the FA said that Suárez "damaged the image of English football around the world". The FA, while finding Evra to be a credible witness, declared that Suárez's evidence was unreliable and inconsistent with the video footage. According to Evra's testimony, Suarez said in Spanish that he had earlier kicked Evra "because you are black", said "I don't speak to blacks" and used the word "negro" five times in total as they argued. Suárez had claimed that his use of the word 'negro' to address Evra was conciliatory and friendly, but the FA rejected this claim as being "unsustainable and simply incredible given that the players were engaged in an acrimonious argument." As the conversation between Suárez and Evra took place in Spanish, linguistic experts were called in to help the panel with the meaning of the phrases. The panel concluded that "Suarez's use of the term [negro] was not intended as an attempt at conciliation or to establish rapport; neither was it meant in a conciliatory and friendly way." Suárez was also warned that two similar offences in the future could lead to "a permanent suspension".
Liverpool later made the decision not to appeal Suarez's eight match ban, releasing a statement voicing their support "to stamp out racism in every form, inside and outside the sport", adding that it was "for this reason that [Liverpool] will not appeal the eight-game suspension of Luis Suarez". Liverpool continued to maintain their belief in both Suarez's innocence and a "strongly held conviction" that the Football Association and the panel it selected constructed a highly subjective case...based on an accusation that was ultimately unsubstantiated".
On 11 February 2012, Liverpool played Manchester United at Old Trafford, which was Suárez's and Evra's first meeting since Suarez's ban. During the traditional pre-game handshakes, Suárez avoided shaking Evra's hand, leading to Evra grabbing Suárez's arm. Suárez ignored Evra and continued down the line causing Evra to throw his arms up in protest and Rio Ferdinand, whose brother Anton was the victim of a separate racial abuse incident with Chelsea captain John Terry, to avoid shaking Suárez's hand. After the game, Liverpool manager Dalglish claimed that while he had not seen Suárez's handshake snub, it was "bang out of order to blame Luis Suárez for anything that happened here today". This led to Suárez and Dalglish facing fierce and outspread media condemnation. In a statement released by Liverpool Managing Director Ian Ayre, Liverpool also condemned Suárez, stating that Suárez had misled the club by claiming before the game that he would shake Evra's hand. The next day, Liverpool's club owners and shirt sponsor forced both Suárez and Dalglish to issue formal apologies for their conduct. The club later dismissed these claims, stating 'The actions the club decided to take on Sunday were supported by Standard Chartered'.
Return
Suárez and Andy Carroll in the 2011–12 Football League Cup final.
On 6 February, Suarez returned to playing for Liverpool after serving his eight-match ban after coming on from the bench against Tottenham and received a yellow card for kicking Scott Parker in his mid-riff.
On 19 February, Suarez scored again in a 6–1 win over Brighton in the FA Cup
International career
Suárez was invited to play at the youth level for Uruguay in the qualifying rounds for the 2007 U-20 World Cup, but his club, Groningen, did not release him to play. He did play in the tournament proper, and he scored two goals in four appearances. His goals came in a group stage draw against Spain and in the Round of 16 against the US, but the US won 2–1 and Uruguay was knocked out of the tournament. Suárez made his senior debut for Uruguay on 8 February 2007 in a 3–1 win against Colombia. He was sent off in the eighty-fifth minute after receiving a second yellow card. Suárez played in 19 of 20 games in 2010 World Cup qualifying and the inter-confederation playoffs and scored five goals.
2010 FIFA World Cup
Suárez (back left) with Diego Forlán (back right) at the 2010 World Cup
In June 2010, Óscar Tabárez named Suárez to Uruguay's 23-man World Cup squad.[94] Uruguay began the tournament with a 0–0 draw against France. In the second game, a 3–0 win over South Africa, Suárez drew a penalty and assisted Alvaro Pereira's stoppage time goal. In the final game of the group, he headed in a goal off a pass from Edinson Cavani and was named Man of the Match in a 1–0 win over Mexico. Uruguay won Group A and advanced to the knockout stage.
During the round of 16 against South Korea, Suárez scored both goals in a 2–1 win. His second broke a tie in the eightieth minute when he dribbled around a defender and curled a "spectacular shot" in off the far post; Suárez was again named Man of the Match. This win put Uruguay through to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1970. In the quarterfinal match against Ghana, the score was 1–1 at the end of regulation and the game went into extra time. Late in extra time, Ghana sent a free kick into the box; Suárez blocked Stephen Appiah's shot on the goal line. He then blocked Dominic Adiyiah’s goalbound header with his hands to save what would have been the game winner and he was red carded. Asamoah Gyan missed the ensuing penalty kick off the crossbar and Suárez celebrated the miss. Uruguay won the shootout 4–2 and advanced to the semifinal.
After the game, Suárez said, "I made the save of the tournament." He claimed he had no alternative and was acting out of instinct. Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac said the play was an "injustice" and Suárez was labeled a villain and a cheat while he "enraged an entire continent [Africa]. "But others viewed him as a hero who, due to the automatic suspension that accompanies a red card, sacrificed himself in the semifinal for the unlikely chance that the penalty would be missed and his team would later win.
While Suárez was suspended for the semi-final game for his red card against Ghana, Uruguay "lacked a second striker [alongside Diego Forlán] of cunning and movement" and lost 3–2 to the Netherlands. Suárez returned for the third place game against Germany; he was booed almost every time he had the ball because of his handball in the Ghana game. He assisted Cavani on Uruguay’s first goal, but Uruguay lost 3–2. During the tournament, Suárez played 543 minutes in six appearances, scored three goals and received a red card.
2011 Copa América
In the 2011 Copa América tournament, Suárez scored in Uruguay's opening game, a 1–1 draw with Peru. Uruguay finished second in their group and advanced to the knockout round with a win and two draws.In the quarterfinals, Uruguay finished regulation and extra time tied at 1–1 with tournament hosts Argentina. Uruguay won the shootout 5–4 and Suárez converted his penalty. Suárez scored both goals in Uruguay’s 2–0 semifinal win over Peru and was named Man of the Match. In the final, Suárez scored the first goal and Uruguay beat Paraguay 3–0 for their record fifteenth Copa América title. Suárez scored four goals in the tournament and was named Player of the Tournament.
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