10 Biggest Premier League Controversies
9. Suárez The Cannibal
The Background:
Uruguay striker Luis Suárez already has a reputation for controversy.
He arrived at Liverpool from Ajax in January 2011 after being dubbed "The Cannibal of Ajax" by the Dutch press for biting PSV Eindhoven defender Otman Bakkal. At the previous summer's World Cup he declared himself posessed of "the real Hand of God" after a handball to save Uruguay from a certain goal that would have led to their elimination by Ghana.
His first full season at Liverpool involved an eight-match ban for using racially abusive language toward Manchester United's Patrice Evra and another ban for making obscene gestures at Fulham fans.
The Controversy:
It is April 2013 and, after another Suárez handball gives away a penalty, Liverpool are 2-1 down at home to Chelsea. When another Liverpool attack fizzles out, Suárez takes out his frustrations by grabbing the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanović and biting down on it. Remarkably, the incident goes unnoticed by the match officials and, in the 97th minute, Suárez scores a valuable equaliser.
The Aftermath:
The calls for Suárez to be severely punished go as high as prime minister David Cameron, who tells the FA to consider footballers' status as role models and punish Suárez's trangressions harshly as a result. Meanwhile, former Liverpool players, including Graeme Souness and Jamie Redknapp, question whether this is the last straw for the striker and if he should ever be allowed to pull on a red shirt again.
The FA hand Suárez an eight-match ban.
He does leave Liverpool, but not as punishment for his transgressions. Instead it's on his own terms a year later after winning the Football Writers Player Of The Year award and the Premier League Golden Boot.
His dream move to Barcelona is only somewhat tainted by picking up a four-month suspension from "all football-related activity" after a third biting incident, this time at the 2014 World Cup on Italy's Giorgio Chiellini.