World Cup outcast Luis Suárez was yesterday treated to a hero's welcome as he arrived back in Uruguay and gained the unexpected support of the rival he bit, Italy's Giorgio Chiellini, although a top Uefa official says the Liverpool striker needs treatment.
Suárez was sent home from Brazil in disgrace after Fifa imposed a four-month ban on him for biting Chiellini during Uruguay's 1-0 defeat of Italy on Tuesday. Despite attempts to keep his return under wraps there were 1,000 fans waving banners of support outside the terminal before he arrived. He was seen wearing a hooded top as he sped off to his mother's home but refused to comment.
Chiellini had been outraged by Suarez's actions during and immediately after Tuesday's match but yesterday he surprisingly criticised Fifa's decision to hand out such an unprecedented ban, which Uruguay have promised to contest.
The president of Uruguay, Jose Mujica, was at the airport. Source AFP
On his official website, Juventus defender Chiellini wrote: "Now inside me there's no feelings of joy, revenge or anger against Suárez for an incident that happened on the pitch and that's done. There only remains the anger and the disappointment about the match. My only thought is for Luis and his family, because they will face a very difficult period. I have always considered unequivocal the disciplinary interventions by the competent bodies, but at the same time I believe that the proposed formula is excessive. I sincerely hope that he will be allowed, at least, to stay close to his team-mates during the games because such a ban is really alienating for a player."
However, Jérôme Valcke, the Fifa general secretary, said the length of the ban reflected Suárez's previous misdemeanours, and urged him to seek treatment.
"If it's the first time, it's an incident," Valcke said. "If it is more than once, it is not an incident. That is why the ban was exemplary. He should find a way to stop doing it. He should go through treatment. "
Uruguay supporters lashed out at Fifa. Source AFP
Uruguay are prepared to take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Wilmar Valdez, the Uruguay Football Association president, said: "He is not just a football player, he is a human being and it is a very difficult situation for him – and as a human being and a football player he is going to have the full support of the FA and the Uruguayans without a doubt. We are looking at the case with the lawyer and we are going to look at our strategy."
Suárez found another unlikely supporter in Argentine legend Diego Maradona, no stranger to controversy at the World Cup, who called the punishment "shameful." On his television show De Zurda, wearing a T-shirt with the words ‘Luis, we are with you', he said: "Fifa have no sensitivity towards the fans, they might as well handcuff him and throw him in Guantánamo.
"It's an excessive suspension, Fifa cannot talk about morals to anyone. Suárez didn't kill anyone. This is an unjust punishment, the act of an incredible mafia."
Luis Suarez is seen as a hero, not a villain, in Uruguay. Source: AFP
Liverpool are consulting legal experts with experience of Fifa disciplinary matters to assist their own investigation and it now leaves Brendan Rodgers, the manager, facing a huge decision on whether to give Suárez another chance after his latest indiscretion. The players' union Fifpro suggested that a legal review could "re-establish the facts in a calm and considered setting" and added: "The fact that Suárez is prohibited from working for a long period must be addressed as it directly infringes his right to work,"
The controversy has failed to deter growing interest from the Spanish giants and both clubs are prepared to pay the required clause, believed to be around £70 million, that will enable them to prise him away from Anfield.
Suárez, meanwhile, has lost his first major sponsorship deal after 888poker announced they are to "terminate their relationship with immediate effect". Adidas, who have a £1 million contract, are also reviewing their position and are poised to have talks with Suárez and his representatives after the World Cup.
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