Liverpool star Luis Suarez was suspended for 10 games on Wednesday after biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, according to CNN.com.
While fighting for the ball, Suarez reaches down and bites the Chelsea defender.
Referee Kevin Friend did not see the play, much to the dismay of Ivanovic who argued profusely. After the game, the English Premiere League’s leading scorer apologized through his Twitter account:
"I'm sad for what happened this afternoon, I apologize Ivanovic and all football world for my inexcusable behavior. I'm so sorry about it!!"
Coincidentally, one of Suarez’ followers is famous boxer Mike Tyson, famous for biting off Evander Holyfield’s ear in 1997.
"For my unacceptable behaviour yesterday the club has fined me today, I have asked the club to donate the money to the Hillsborough Family Support Group for the inconvenience I have created to the Liverpool fans and to Ivanovic," he posted on his account.
Biting an opponent is not unprecedented for Suarez. He committed a similar action in 2010 and was suspended for seven matches. At that time he was a member of the Dutch club Ajax.
He was suspended in 2011 after he hurled racially charged insults at Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.
Graeme Souness, former Liverpool captain and current analyst for Sky Sports, said one of the most famous sports organizations in the world must take swift action.
"People will be talking about this for a long, long time and it's going to show Liverpool in a very bad light—especially in this week of all weeks, the anniversary of Hillsborough,” he said.
Souness was referring to a crush that claimed the lives of 96 people during a 1989 match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
"It can't happen again. I firmly believe this puts him in the last-chance saloon as a Liverpool player -- the board [has] to see it that way because they're risking everything this great football club stands for," Souness said.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said he would not comment on the play until he’d reviewed the incident.
"I'll make an honest appraisal on it and comment afterwards," he said. "It's not for me to make any rash comments or predictions now."
After going over the footage Rodgers later said, “Having reviewed the video footage and spoken to Luis, his behavior is unacceptable and I have made him aware of this."
The Liverpool-Chelsea match ended in a draw, 2-2.
