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Easter is a special period of the year for a lot of people, regardless of what they celebrate this weekend. Some people celebrate the resurrection of Christ, some just really enjoy eating chocolate eggs, and some just want to stay in the living room and watch the countless international matches on TV.
For those who choose the latter, or even two, or all three options, here is a story to read in celebration of the Easter spirit.
One of the most amazing comebacks in sports history is on the horizon, as Luis Suarez will take the field for Uruguay after a 21-month long ban from international soccer.
Luiz Suarez at Easter? ... #mufc pic.twitter.com/Klq781B88N
— Red Lester ☆☆☆ (@Redlester99) April 18, 2014
Happy Easter from Luis Suarez. pic.twitter.com/A2I80DTewQ
— Hadi Tamim (@HadiTamim) April 21, 2014
Denying his resemblance to the Easter Bunny might be harder than taking the La Liga title away from Barcelona this year, but all jokes aside Suarez’s career has been full of controversies and, despite all of them, he managed to come back stronger every time.
The first major controversial incident in Suarez’s career should still be fresh inside the heads of Ghana’s players and supporters, especially Asamoah Gyan. Six years ago Suarez stopped what would’ve been the most important goal in African soccer history as he swatted away Dominic Adiyiah's goalbound header in the last second of the Uruguay vs Ghana World Cup quarterfinal match in South Africa. Gyan went on to miss the penalty kick, and La Celeste clinched their place in the semifinals in the ensuing penalty shootout.
As much as that hurt for Ghana, it would turn out to be a mere drop in the sea of controversy that has followed in Suarez’s career.
A few months later, the Uruguayan would give birth to the only move he’s known better for than his ability to score goals. The Suarez bite.
His first victim was PSV’s attacker Otman Bakkal in November 2010. Suarez got a seven-game suspension and earned the nickname of “the Cannibal of Ajax” from a Dutch newspaper. His career in the Netherlands didn’t survive for much longer, and he was transferred to Liverpool for a club record fee of £22.8m.
With the Reds, Suarez’s first offense didn’t involve any biting, but it was a harsh one nonetheless. In October 2011, the striker was accused of “racially abusing” Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra. The FA found the Liverpool man guilty and handed Suarez an eight-match ban and a £40,000 fine.
Almost two years later Suarez was back making headlines around the world. “Cannibal of Anfield” was the headline of the Daily Telegraph Sport front page.
Photo: @MonidlValle | Twitter
The victim, this time, was Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. This time around the punishment for the Uruguay striker was fiercer, as the FA sentenced Suarez to a ten match ban.
After that ban, Suarez laid low for almost a year, but then he went on to shock the world on its biggest stage.
Suarez issued this public apology after biting Giorgio Chiellini:
Photo: @olivergibson | Twitter
The aftermath of this was a four-month ban from all football-related activities for the striker. Suarez was even banned from watching games as a spectator for all that time. He was also issued an extra nine match international ban, as well as a fine of £66k.
That would have been a major blow to any athlete’s career. Nevertheless, like a phoenix, Suarez has managed to make up for the time lost and put those sour memories aside.
The striker has been flesh free (pun intended) for almost two years now and has been in the most amazing form of his career. Part of perhaps the most prolific trio of attackers in the history of the game, Suarez has scored 43 goals in 43 matches so far in the 2015-16 season, towering over his attacking mates.
Ballon d’Or finalist Neymar has 27 goals so far this season, while Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has 37 scores to his name.
He is back and he’s better than ever. As he takes the field against Brazil, his first time wearing Le Celeste’s jersey since the Chiellini incident, Suarez will have the opportunity to put the last of his ghosts in the rearview mirror and prove to the world that he is, indeed, a new man.
