On this day in 2014: Luis Suarez bites Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at World Cup

By Sports Desk June 24, 2023

Luis Suarez overshadowed his Uruguay team’s stunning World Cup victory over Italy when he bit defender Giorgio Chiellini on this day in 2014.

The incident took place in the final group game between the sides as Diego Godin headed a late goal to secure a 1-0 win for the South Americans to progress at the expense of the 2006 world champions.

Suarez then fell to the floor holding his mouth and Chiellini protested the Uruguayan forward had dived.

Chiellini told Italian television station Rai TV afterwards: “It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off. It is clear, clear-cut.

“Then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn’t have done.”

The then-Liverpool striker had already served a 10-game Premier League ban that season for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic during a league game at Anfield in April 2013.

In 2010 whilst playing for Ajax he had been suspended for seven games after a similar offence committed against PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal.

He was subsequently punished by FIFA for the bite on Chiellini, receiving a four-month suspension from all football and handed a nine-game international ban, as well as being fined 100,000 Swiss francs.

Uruguay were knocked out at the last-16 stage after being beaten 2-0 by Colombia.

Suarez returned to football by making his Barcelona debut in an El Clasico clash in October that year following a £65million move to the Nou Camp from Liverpool.

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