One of the trending topics on international and social media in the last three weeks since the World Cup kicked off in Brazil is not just about who wins football’s most coveted trophy but the latest biting row involving Uruguay’s Liverpool FC striker Luis Suarez and the consequent Fifa four-month match ban that followed.
In what could appear as a joke taken too far to many followers of the World Cup and the biting scandal, some brand owners are studying the saga while others are offering Suarez a job as meat taster.
A report in Reuters say Luis Suarez risks losing lucrative commercial deals following his bite on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini with poker brand 888poker saying recently that it was reviewing its sponsorship agreement with the Uruguayan.
According to Reuters, “Suarez, who plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League, last month became one of the online gambling company’s brand ambassadors ahead of the World Cup. Suarez also has an endorsement deal with German sportswear company, Adidas and one of its adverts feature a picture of Suarez baring his teeth.”
In the report, Adidas said it would respond to the latest controversy involving Suarez. Suarez bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder during his country’s 1-0 win over Italy but Uruguay was subsequently kicked out of the ongoing competition in Brazil by Colombia.
The Online gambling company 888poker moved quickly to distance itself from the player. “Following the allegations made against Luis Suarez in regards to his behaviour during Uruguay’s World Cup match against Italy, 888poker is seriously reviewing its relationship with the player as we will not tolerate any unsporting behaviour,” 888poker said in a published statement.
“Although the bite has created headaches for companies who work with Suarez, others have used the outrage to generate free publicity for their brands with instant campaigns on social media based on puns and jokes,” the Reuters report says.
During the match, Chiellini tried to show referee, Marco Rodriguez the bite mark but the referee did not take any action but Marco believed that FIFA authorities would later look at what happened and punish Suarez accordingly.
For biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini which FIFA investigated and confirmed, Suarez received one of the longest bans in the tournament’s history – nine international matches and four months from all football. It was his third ban for biting after previous incidents in England and the Netherlands.
‘’Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup, when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field,’’ Claudio Sulser, chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, said in a statement published by international media.
Meanwhile, UK based Kerry Foods-owned brand Mattessons, according to reports monitored online, is offering Luis Suárez a job as an official meat taster.
A report in Ibbonline.com says despite Suarez’s promise never to bite again, the team at Mattessons believe that he would be ideally suited to the role of “official meat taster” during his ban from football – and plans to launch a new range of footballer-flavoured products to tempt him to take the job are ongoing.
In the Mattessons Ad ‘A job offer to Luis Suarez’ created by Saatchi & Saatchi London displayed in the Ibbonline.com, and which will run in national press and UK recruitment classifieds, advertising the role of ‘Official Meat Taster’ on Mattessons Fridge Raiders Food Technology Team. Christopher Owen, Meat Category Director, Mattessons, invites Suarez to respond directly to the Ad.
“Suarez has twice been banned for biting opponents – for 10 matches in 2013 for his clash with Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and in 2010 he was given a seven-game ban while playing for Ajax for sinking his teeth into PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal. FIFA’s disciplinary code allows action to be taken retrospectively via video evidence even if the incident was not seen by the referee,” FoxSoccer reports.
Kalusha Bwalya who believed that Suarez action could affect his brand ambassadorship with companies said there is something wrong as he has done it on three occasions. He said Suarez action was uncalled for and it was serious damage to football.
Speaking with BusinessDay in Mauritius during the MultiChoice content showcase recently Bwalya, a former captain and former coach of the Zambian football team and currently the president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), said in Africa one could witness other forms of abuses in the pitch but he has only seen biting with Suarez.
Besides three biting scandals, Suarez has also courted other forms of controversies. During the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals, he prevented Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah from scoring in the final minute by blocking a goal bound shot with his hands.
He was subsequently sent off (his second international dismissal after being shown a red card on his Uruguay debut in February 2007). A penalty was awarded but missed by Asamoah Gyan as Suárez celebrated on the sidelines. Uruguay eventually went through to the last four on penalties.
On October 15, 2011, during an English Premiership match between Liverpool and Manchester United, Suarez was alleged to have racially abused United left back Patrice Evra. The English FA consequently found him guilty, charged, fined £40,000 and banned for eight games.
The biting row and other controversies notwithstanding, Suarez is globally acknowledged as a star player capable of changing a game with his phenomenal skill set and goal scoring ability. It is no wonder then that rather than bury him, the latest scandal seems to have fast-tracked his career.
Recent rumours on several global new outlets have revealed that there are ongoing talks for the player’s signature with reports that Barcelona FC has tabled a massive £70 million for the forward’s services. A close friend of the Uruguayan also stated amid the rumours that it had always been the striker’s dream to play for Barcelona.
Love him or hate him, Suarez remains a brand ambassador; whether the latest biting row will make people derisively see him as a ‘meat taster’ or as one of the best players that ever played the beautiful game remains to be seen. What do you think?
Daniel Obi
