Biting news: Luis Suarez: yes, he's hungry but can he EVER play for Liverpool again

This is the first tweet from Luis Suarez after yesterday's incident: "I'm sad for what happened this afternoon, I apologize Ivanovic and all football world for my inexcusable behaviour. I'm so sorry about it!!" But as you can see above, he's done it before. Here's what happened today...
 

The first point that needs to be made about Sunday’s unbelievable Luis Suarez biting incident is: he’s done it before. Like his infamous use of the hands in vital situations, he doesn’t seem to learn the lesson.

The second point? The 26-year-old CANNOT play for Liverpool again. Enough is enough. Prominent hands are one thing, prominent teeth are another. Ask Mike Tyson.

Playing for Ajax Amsterdam against Feyenoord in 2010, there is clear video evidence of the controversial Uruguayan biting the neck of Dutchman Otman Bakkal, a tasty misdemeanour which earned him a seven-match ban.

That first attempt at cannibalism came AFTER the infamous handball which devastated Ghana at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but BEFORE his eight-game ban for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.

Since then, he has managed to get in to trouble for diving, using his hands, stamping and erm... scoring goals.

Just yesterday he needlessly handled to give away the penalty which gave Chelsea the lead seconds after the first goal and scored the last-gasp second in a pulsating 2-2 draw at Anfield – but only because ref Kevin Friend ignored those Branislav Ivanovic tooth marks, despite the Serbian defenders’ animated complaints.

The question is, can Suarez play again after yesterday's incident, which echoed around the football-speaking world? Clearly, Liverpool are worried. The Football Association will charge him (violent conduct or vampirism), with one eye on the career-changing seven-match suspension for the first incident in Holland.

After that, he never played in the Ere Divisie again. He moved to Liverpool. On Sunday night, Suarez said: "I have tried to contact Branislav Ivanovic to speak to him personally. I apologise also to my manager, playing colleagues and everyone at Liverpool for letting them down."

His long-suffering Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers said: "Having reviewed the video footage and spoken to Luis, his behaviour is unacceptable and I have made him aware of this."

More conclusive is this from Ian Ayre, Liverpool’s managing director, who cancelled a Reds-promoting trip to Australia as Suarez’s arm-chewing went global.

Ayre said: "His conduct is not befitting of a Liverpool player. Luis is aware that he has let himself and everyone associated with the club down. We will deal with the matter internally and await any action from the Football Association."

Tellingly, Rodgers said in his post-match interview: "This is a club with incredible values and ethics. There's certainly no-one bigger than this club, a player or a manager. You think a player can’t be released then another one comes along.

"As football managers, staff and players, we're representing this club, off the field and in particular on the field."

Former Liverpool and England midfielder Jamie Redknapp, trying to explain the remarkable scenes on Sky in England, said: “There is that madness-genius gene in him because as a player he’s exceptional, with people talking about him being player of the year, but what he did today, is indefensible.

“Even the staunchest Liverpool supporters cannot look at that and think that’s okay. Why on earth would you want to take a chunk out of someone when you are on a football field? That is an absolutely incredible act of brutality. It’s madness.”

Former player and coach Graeme Souness growled: "He has to be in the last-chance saloon as a Liverpool player."

There is another awkward debate about to dawn too. Suarez, who scored his 30^th goal of the season six-minutes in to injury-time yesterday, has been named on the PFA Player of the Year shortlist.

PFA chairman Gordon Taylor, one of the world’s richest union leaders, said: "It is very depressing and embarrassing that it should happen. If it wasn't for all the controversies he's been involved in he would be a more highly regarded player.

"Players are role models and are highly rewarded. This sets such a bad example. We cannot exclude him from our awards but this is embarrassing."

You can hear me discussing Suarez's hunger on eTV Sunrise (DSTV 194) at 7.15am and eNCAnews (DSTV 403) at 8.15am. A version of this story will appear in The New Age newspaper on Tuesday morning.

Forlorn Forlan Won't Be Forgotten When Uruguay Take on France in Cape Town tomorrow

ALMOST forgotten amid the once-upon-a-time hysteria surrounding South Africa’s World Cup kick-off tomorrow is a little wizard with golden locks, hoping to complete a 60-year-old fairy tale.

When the jets and – hopefully – Nelson Mandela have departed Soccer City and while the Rainbow Nation are still digesting their opening clash with Mexico, Uruguay will kick off the second Group A game of the day against once-mighty France in Cape Town at 8.30pm (7.30pm in England).

And all eyes will be on former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan. We may have ignored him a little after he left Old Trafford for Spain. But his dad, Pablo, is there to remind us: “If he shows his true form, Uruguay could go far. And I really hope they do.”

Pablo played for Uruguay too, while grand-dad Juan Carlos Corzao played for Independiente in Argentina. Diego, earning rave reviews at Atletico Madrid en route to their Europa League triumph (above) last season, says: “Dad played in two World Cups, 1966 and 1974. I am so proud of him.”

Hopefully, by tomorrow night at around 10pm, the feeling will be mutual. To get past fragile France, Forlan will be relying on the famous Uruguayan fighting spirit: “When people talk about garra charrúa, sometimes they think it means ‘playing hard’. But that’s not really what it is. It means we must focus on winning – nothing else matters.”

Uruguay coach Oscar “The Maestro” Tabarez, who chose to play just one warm-up match, has already named his team. Chile-based defender Mauricio Victorino and Penarol midfielder Egidio Arevalo Rios are the surprise choices, the only two changes to the side which beat Israel 4-1. That was on May 26 and we’ve seen little of Uruguay, World Cup winners 60 years ago, since.

Forlan, 31 years, 62 caps, 24 goals, will play next to Ajax’s 35-goal striker Luis Suarez up front after overcoming injury scares. They are considered to be one of the most frightening dynamic duos at this World Cup.

Uruguay missed out on Germany 2006 but Forlan was around for 2002. After his side were forced to see off Costa Rica in a play-off after finishing fifth in the lengthy Latin American qualifying group, he grins: "It doesn’t matter how we got here, what’s important is that we are here now, in South Africa. We can forget about the ghosts of matches past.

“The years have flown by for everyone, but this time it's my turn to be one of the older heads – I’ll approach it with a bit more experience under my belt. We’ve got a great bunch of footballers who all get on very well together.”

France, after drawing with Tunisia and losing to China in their last two warm-ups, are in disarray. There are reported splits in the camp and today we hear coach Raymond Domenech, who will be replaced by Laurent Blanc after the World Cup, has been told by the players he must start veteran Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry “Hand of God” Henry. France are ranked 9 in the world, Uruguay 16th.

Forlan shrugs off France’s controversial passage to South Africa in that Parisian play-off against the Republic of Ireland, saying: “How they qualified isn’t significant either – they have good players, and it’s going to be a tough match.

“Uruguayan football has a rich history, marked by great victories, trophies and accomplishments. But it’s 60 years since we won the World Cup. Now it’s our turn to leave an impression."

Manchester City’s Patrick Vieira, left out of the French squad, flew in to commentate yesterday. He knows full well the pressures on the 1999 winners and 2006 finalists. He says, a tad hopefully: "France have always been criticised before big tournaments. It’s nothing new. I really strongly believe that France are good enough to win the World Cup even if they haven't played well in the friendlies."

Those lucky enough to have tickets for the opening game at the fabulous new Green Point Stadium tomorrow will then turn their minds to another French clash – on the rugby field at Newlands, where the Springboks await.

It could be a very galling weekend for the French.

Neal Collins is in South Africa promoting his first novel, A GAME APART, dubbed “the book you must read before the World Cup”. For more information see www.nealcollins.co.uk. See also his furious Fabio video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENNPo6AF1Lo