Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has courted controversy throughout a colourful career, dazzling crowds with his brilliance while infuriating all around him with a temperament he has often found hard to control.
Suarez received a seven-match ban by the Dutch FA for his first offence in 2010, biting Otman Bakkal of PSV Eindhoven while playing for Ajax. It was the first of three high-profile incidents that have long overshadowed the Uruguayan’s threat in front of goal and led many to conclude that he was beyond redemption as a footballer.
Incredibly, there was a repeat against Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic two years later while the striker was at Liverpool, before the most infamous incident of all when he bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil. A four-month ban from football and suspension from his national side ensued, while Suarez remained a Liverpool player.
Paradoxically, this bizarre course of events led to Suarez securing his dream move to Barcelona. With his Barca debut delayed until October 25 2014, he only made his bow for the Catalans in El Clasico as Luis Enrique’s men lost out 3-1 away to Real Madrid, Suarez scoring for his new side.
On Sunday night against Eibar, Suarez celebrated his first anniversary at Barca in the best way possible, hitting a hat-trick as his side won 3-1 after conceding an early goal. Apart from winning the game for his team, a triumphant Suarez had finally silenced his doubters.
Played on the right by Enrique early last term, Suarez struggled to make an impact, but his Coach managed to channel his street-fighting aggression in a positive direction and, alongside Neymar and Lionel Messi, the Uruguayan became an integral part of the most potent attack in world football.
The trio banged in an amazing 122 goals between them in all competitions, Suarez hitting 25 of them in just 43 appearances as well as, crucially, providing 20 assists. Less selfish and more mature, he has extended that form into the current campaign with 10 goals in 13 matches for Barca so far this season.
The disciplinary problems that reached their height with the Chiellini incident have cast a shadow over Suarez ever since his debut in the Netherlands with Groningen where, as a 19-year-old, he once scored four goals in five games, simultaneously receiving three yellow cards and one red.
Now, however, as a key figure in a good but far from great Barcelona side, Suarez appears happier and at his creative best in a lethal front three, playing with a smile rather than a sneer and appearing to be motivated more by contentment than resentment.
At Barcelona, the club’s inclusive ethos provides a supportive embrace to its players and Suarez seems to have been a major beneficiary of this approach. Not only that, his game has improved massively too, a year on from his first appearance in the blue and grenadine.
Suarez may even be thriving in Messi’s current absence, having become Barca’s top scorer with the Argentine out of the side injured. He had Neymar to thank on Sunday too, the Brazilian setting up two of Suarez’ goals against Eibar, returning the compliment for the many assists received during the past 12 months.
Only Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann have scored more goals in La Liga than Suarez has since he joined Barcelona. With the support of his teammates and Coach, this could be the season Suarez finally makes his name for footballing reasons rather than with his disciplinary issues.
