The return of Suarez

louis suarezBARCELONA. — Few might remember his knee surgery just three weeks before the World Cup soccer finals, or the two goals he scored in a 2-1 victory over England in his first match in the tournament.
The last and most memorable image of Luis Suarez is the striker biting Giorgio Chiellini in the shoulder in a group stage match against Italy, a play that earned him a four-month suspension.

Discipline problems have defined the career of one of the most talented and feared strikers in the world.
Loved by teammates and loathed by opponents, Suarez has a knack for scoring and controversy.

He returns to the field tomorrow, when he makes his Barcelona debut against rival Real Madrid. All eyes will be on the 27-year old Uruguayan, even as his teammate Lionel Messi is one goal shy of the league’s career scoring record, and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has already scored 15 goals in eight matches.

Less than a month after the suspension was announced, Barcelona paid a club-record $130 million transfer fee to Liverpool for Suarez, who was coming off his best season in the Premier League with 31 goals in all competitions. He scored 82 goals in 133 matches with the Reds, but his three years in England were marked by two suspensions for biting and racial abuse.

“I thought I had ruined my career and feared that Barsa would go back” on its intention to sign him, Suarez said in a recent TV interview. Suarez said he sought treatment to help him control his temper.

“The Chiellini incident was very negative for his career, because he’ll always be remembered for those things,” said Ajax coach Frank De Boer. — AFP.

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