Flawed Genius: The curious case of Luis Suarez
A week on since his heroic return to send England packing from the World Cup, Luis Suarez is back in the spotlight, but for all the wrong reasons. The latest incident involving Suarez allegedly biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini was captured by TV cameras which has lead to a furore among the fans and media alike. There have been calls for the strictest possible action with this being the forward’s third straight cynical offence of the similar kind.
Love him or hate him - with all the talent at his disposal, if used in a positive manner, Suarez could easily be counted among the best football players of the modern era. The key phrase here is: “if used in a positive manner”. Over the years, the 27-year old has provided numerous magical moments with his feet - be it going for audacious lobs, finishes from tight angles or even creating scoring opportunities from dead-ball situations - he has done it all. A deft ball control, quick speed of thought, intelligent first step and a strong shooting leg characterise Luis Suarez’s play. The ability to nutmeg defenders with utter ease and a keen eye for the final incisive pass makes him an extremely vital asset for any team that he plays. Infact, watching Suarez in full flow, displaying an array of his mesmerizing skills, makes the word ‘genius’ involuntarily pop out of the mouth.
If only that were the end of the story. Alas!
There’s a fine line between genius and madness. Despite the brilliance that he possesses, Suarez has a reputation of courting controversies one after another. A brief glance at his past career gives a justification to the fact only too clearly. Tuesday’s episode was just another addition to his growing list of on-field misdemeanors.
Biting is a child-like behaviour and certainly not deemed to be a normal human adult trait. Various psychological reports state biting as a reaction of stress among children due of the lack of coping strategies for such emotions among them. However, the habit tends to outgrow with age because of human tendency to learn proper ways of tackling such frustration and anger over time. Though psychology has not yet clearly established as to why adults exhibit biting behaviour, it does however state that biting has several forensic implications involving violence and sexual abuse.
Suarez is an enigma, a mystery whose next move can’t be predicted. He is an extremely emotional and passionate player who is committed to winning at all costs. Remember who broke down on the pitch when Liverpool lost the title spectacularly at Crystal Palace? And it wasn’t Stevie! Dr. Steve Peters, the world famous psychologist, in his book The Chimp Paradox, describes the functioning of the human brain in terms of its rational “human” part and its rash “chimp” part which is responsible for such emotional outbursts.
With his World Cup dream slipping away and an entire country’s expectations lying heavily on his shoulders, Suarez’s mind forces him to resort to any possible measures in search for conquest even if it means breaking the rules. On the football pitch, Suarez seems not to be aware of the difference between what is right and what is wrong. The Chiellini incident isn’t afterall his only taste of World Cup controversies. Back in 2010, even at the expense of his own dismissal, he paved the way for Uruguay to go through to the semis. It is as though Suarez gets overtaken by his insatiable desire for victory so much so that he loses control over the rational part of his brain.
Of course, no possible explanation would suffice for a fully mature human being barging into another with his teeth. No, absolutely none. What is unacceptable and intolerable remains just that. As a professional one should be well aware of his limitations and the severe consequences crossing the line may lead to, and Suarez has definitely overstepped the limit this time.
But unfortunately, the deed’s been done and the punishment laid out. Whether the imposed ban is just and deserved is a different argument altogether, but all that needs to be said is that Suarez has reached such a crossroads in his career that he needs professional help more than anything to address his on-field problems which may otherwise prevent him from fulfilling his true potential.