Luis Suarez is a disgrace

Is there a more repugnant character in world football than Luis Suarez?

I have found him particularly hard to stomach ever since he stopped a shot on the line by handling the ball during a World Cup quarter-final against Ghana. Then, to make matters worse, after being sent off he cheered ecstatically as Asamoah Gyan missed the ensuing penalty.

Now he has found another way to turn scores more fans against him. His blatant handball against Mansfield Town in the third round of the FA Cup as he scored the goal that ultimately knocked the Blue Square Bet Premier side out.

I am not sure that there is a decent bone in this man's body. Cheating against sides that are of an equal stature is bad enough, but to cheat against a non-league side is totally disgraceful.

In many of these occasions he doesn't just disgrace himself but he disgraces his managers and colleagues as well, as they choose to stand by him. Why did Kenny Dalglish and the rest of the Liverpool players think it wise to stand by someone who had been banned for using racist language? Why is Brendan Rodgers now choosing to stand by him saying "it's not his job to own up."

I firmly believe that this level of continual amoral behaviour in football is what is rotting the core of the game. Yes, the officials should have spotted it but there is a greater responsibility that falls on the shoulders of the individual involved. He could have stopped, he could have admitted he was cheating but instead he put the ball in the net.

Nothing in football will change until the footballers change themselves.

Peter Stickney

Follow @peterstickney

Comments

[The Good-I-son]

In the history of football, you tell me how many incidents have been owned up to. And also tell me which one has changed the mind of the ref.

Its particularly painful to see what he did, of course, cos its Mansfield. But it was not intentional. Had it been given as a handball I don't think anyone on the pitch would have disputed it.

So think of the bigger picture before you start slating. And for your information, im Ghanaian and an Everton fan.

Cheers

Mike

[Unbiased]

What utter tripe......the Mansfield Town manager has no problem with Suarez so why should you? The guy didn't expect the goal to be given the pictures clearly show this, it is not his fault the officials are useless.

[Terry Smith]

As usual the criticism of Suarez crosses the line and becomes bullying. I often wonder whether this is a sort of racism. Bale cheats left right and centre but he is white and his behaviour attracts little comment.
Scholes has been a dirty [player, albeit supremely talented like Suarez but people chortled at his antics but again he is white
The author of this piece is simply on a band wagon witch-hunt and therefore has zero credibility

[Norman Cotterill]

What a load of rubbish.
Suarez is a is that "dirty cheating repugnant Urugyan" .......disgrace to the game etc.

Your the blinkered racist mate.

Suarez did nothing wrong yesterday. The Ref had a shocker.
Missed two penalty handballs for Mansfield no mention of them?
Luis did what any forward should. Play to the whistle. End of.

[Gladian]

You are a disgrace yourself for writing such a 1-sided story. What could he have done? Even the losing manager Cox can accept it was the linesman's duty to make the call, not Luis Suarez.

You are just unbelievable. I believe you can only accept facts when Luis is playing for Everton.

[Mike Jones]

I also see that he's raped the Queen, bombed Dresden, enslaved half of India and commited genocide in an undisclosed African state!!!!
Will you get a grip,,,the day when every defender admits to a handball they made that was not given as a penalty and every single player in every single league, in every single game, every few minutes, stops play because they've fouled someone, but the the ref didn't spot it and so their opponent SHOULD have had a free-kick, will never happen, so why just have a go at Suarez?
Everyone 'cheats' in every sport, every day...grow up.
It's called 'professionalism'. That's what they are paid for.

[Roy]

If Suarez is a disgrace what about Eric Cantona? Roy Keane?

We have one who give a kung fu kick to fan another who broke the leg of other player.
These two are worst scums.

Don't be a hypocrite, Peter. Save your self righteousness to yourself.

[Number 9]

to waste web space with articles like this the only disgrace I can see

[Michael]

What a lazy piece of writing this is. To jump on Luis Suarez over last nights incident is just pathetic and you should be ashamed of yourself. Putting aside the fact that the linesman saw it and stated it was not intentional or the fact that it was ball to hand and not deliberate or even the fact that both managers agreed it was a footballing incident and NOT INTENTIONAL - also putting aside the subdued response from Suarez after the goal went in, as he expected it to be ruled out. It's up to the officials to decide if the goal should stand from an ACCIDENTAL handball and NOT the player. This is football, not croquet - how many incidents happen like this on a regular basis, do you expect all players to stop and say oooh no I'm not going to allow my goal to stand as my accidental handball could have been seen by some as deliberate. You PETER STINKEY are the repugnant figure for jumping on the bandwagon and writing such tripe.

Rant over !!

[me]

"Is there a more repugnant character than Luis Suarez?"

Yes the author of this pathetic racist bile. Go hang yourself you pathetic cunt

[RedMist]

What a load of usual B*LL*KS, you so called journos and Media are a CANCER, to English football, why don't you all emigrate, and learn how to write an UNBIASED article!, and do us all a favour......STAY THERE!!!. You are a total disgrace to your country..

[oddity]

Repugnant..? Disgraceful..? Nah, only opposition supporters would take that stance. There has been FAR, FAR worse going on in the game than an unintentional handball not owned up to.

1995 Cantona gets sent off for Man Utd for KICKING another player. He then KICKS and repeatedly PUNCHES a supporter.

He is then made an inaugural inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

The football authorities have had their opportunities to get rid of the disgraceful thugs and louts from football years ago, this is not even in the same league.

[south wales red]

If handball is to be given it has to be deemed delibarate, which it clearly wasn`t. Also, if it were the other way round and it was Liverpool who had been knocked out because of a "handball", everyone would be laughing about. Stop being hypicritical and fuck off

[Fred Bullock]

Unfortunately, this piece is nothing more than pure bile which is sadly removed from both facts or reason.

There is no doubt that Luis Suarez plays it very close to the bone with his highly competitive, often provocative way of playing football and there is also no question that some of his actions in the past have gone beyond the pale, for which he has, rightly, received bans.

However, on this occasion, his hand has met the ball either accidentally or instinctively and he has then smashed the ball in to the net in a dismissive way that suggested he knew he had handled it. When the goal was then given, he did what 99% of footballers would have done in that situation, celebrated in the same manner he celebrates every goal by kissing the tattoo on his wrist and returning to his own half to restart the game.

If this had been another player, it would be certainly be mentioned in the press but by no means front page news and the manger of Mansfield himself placed the blame not with Suarez but with the officials for failing to spot the obvious handball.

Unfortunately, it just gives small-minded individuals such as yourself another chance to demonise Suarez, who, regardless of his antics, has proved himself this season to be one of the world's finest players and greatest entertainers in a sport that thrives on drama and characters.

[Arvmeister]

who the hell are you to judge him you fucking bellend. Utter load of tripe from a cunt of an "author".

[Terry Smith]

Guys
I think the points about the shallowness of this journalist are well made but are better made without the bad language

[Johno]

Only a person who wears their dick on their head as some type of fashion statement could come up wiith such undeucated and biased tripe

[RedMist]

What a load of usual B*LL*KS, you so called journos and Media are a CANCER, to English football, why don't you all emigrate, and learn how to write an UNBIASED article!, and do us all a favour......STAY THERE!!!. You are a total disgrace to your country..

[Al]

dear oh dear - it seems that Peter Stickney is a total c*nt, that much is clear

[pete]

Is there a more obnoxious racist ignorant poster on the web than the author of this "article". If it were journalism you'd be a disgrace to journalism but it's not it's just inaccurate racist bile. Fact - the FA panel (not a formal court of law) confirmed Suarez was NOT a racist. Fact - you have no idea that the handball was deliberate yet you state this as indisputable and blatant. Total ignorance.

[Patrick]

Hahaha what a load of rubbish you have just written, Fool!!!!

[Xile]

What a load of bollocks.

I don't believe the handball was deliberate, the ball came back quickly and hit Suarez on the hand, the linesman didn't flag nor did the ref didn't blow his whistle so he carried on an kicked the ball in to the empty net. I am 100% sure that any other player including those from Mansfield would have done exactly the same thing.

When was the last time you saw a player own up to a handball of any description? Never.

[Ian F]

You utter idiot.
You are there with Martin Samuel and the Fleets Street fatty brigade who seem to have Xenophobia Flakes for breakfast each morning.
Suarez is bullied, abused & victimised by the media (not a web blogger is real media-you're a publicity seeker) and you are taking cheap shots at "the nasty foreigner".
Are you going to call every decision given wrongly hereon in as cheating by the offender?
And Luis is NOT a "convicted racist", don't use that disecription, and perhaps read the report from the FA that acknowledged he was no such thing (he's got a Black grandparent for gods sake).
Stick with Martin Samuel, Jon Champion and the other 'Little Englanders' and you'll be the laughing stock.

[Ian]

'confirmed and convicted racist' - you really don't have a clue what you are talking about do you. I hope you are embarassed.

[Gary L]

Football is one of the last sports that doesnt embrace what technology has to offer and that's what makes it special.
Referees and linesmen are put out there for a reason. How many goals have been scored and not awarded, how many balls have been dragged back over the line by a keeper, how many goals have been scored with the hand! Just about every sport has a "poor me" story to tell which is why most has gone to technology to resolve the problems. Football is special, love Suarez or hate him, he is good for the game. The abuse should be directed at the referee and linesmen for missing such a huge blunder. Move on.