Feed: Sport Yahoo UK
Posted on: Monday, April 22, 2013 18:26
Author: Sport Yahoo UK
Subject: Luis Suarez 'Bite' Incident: Liverpool Star Sorry
Liverpool's Luis Suarez has been offered counselling after he apologised for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovich during a Premier League clash. The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) said on Monday the Uruguayan will be approached over anger management counselling following the incident during the 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday. The striker, 26, revealed on his personal Twitter account that the club has fined him for the altercation. He wrote: "For my unacceptable behaviour yesterday the club has fined me today, I have asked the club to donate money to the Hillsborough Family Support Group for the inconvenience I have created to the Liverpool fans and to Ivanovich." The striker also used Twitter to apologise around three hours after the final whistle blew on the game. He wrote: "I'm sad for what happened this afternoon, I apologise Ivanovic and all football world for my inexcusable behaviour. I'm so sorry about it!!" In a statement issued through his club, he added: "I have issued an apology and have tried to contact Branislav Ivanovic to speak to him personally. "I apologise also to my manager, playing colleagues and everyone at Liverpool Football Club for letting them down." The FA says it will review match footage - seen by millions of television viewers - that shows Suarez biting the Chelsea defender on the arm. A spokesman told Sky News: "We will speak to match officials today and review any report in relation to the matter and decide on an appropriate course of action." The spokesman added that the FA "governance team" were looking at the incident and any video footage would be "very important" to that process. Merseyside Police confirmed officers had spoken to Ivanovich after the game and he did not wish to make a complaint. Cameras captured the striker appearing to sink his teeth into his opponent's upper arm during the second half. Ivanovic remonstrated with referee Kevin Friend following the incident and the match official briefly spoke to Suarez before allowing the game to continue. The match ended 2-2, with Liverpool's controversial star - who is a contender for this year's player of the season awards - scoring an equaliser in the dying seconds. In a later Twitter message, Suarez said he had spoken to Ivanovic and his apology had been accepted. He wrote: "I've just spoken to Ivanovic on the phone and I could apologise directly to him. Thanks for accepting." A Chelsea spokesman said: "Luis Suarez called Branislav Ivanovic this evening. Branislav appreciated the call and his apology." Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre, who cancelled a trip to Australia to deal with the fallout from the incident, said on Monday the incident would have no bearing on his future at the club. He told liverpoolfc.com: "It affects his future in the sense that we have to work with him on his discipline - but Luis is a very important player to the club. "As we keep saying, he signed a new four-year contract last summer and we'd all love to see him here throughout that contract. "He's a fantastic player, top scorer and everything we'd want in a striker, so there's no change there. "This is more about getting him back on the right track and it's largely down to (manager) Brendan (Rodgers) now to work with him on that side of his character." Brendan Rodgers added: "Having reviewed the video footage and spoken to Luis, his behaviour is unacceptable and I have made him aware of this." Speaking on Sky Sports, former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness said the Uruguayan striker had "crossed a line". He said: "I'm not sure what to make of it. Embarrassing. He's making it very difficult for himself to stay at Liverpool, that puts him in the last chance saloon. "Most important is safeguarding the good name of the football club. Liverpool are world renowned. People will be talking about this for a long, long time, and it will show Liverpool in a very bad light. "This is not the first time he has bitten someone in the football match. He is risking everything this great club stands for. I've never seen something like that in a football match before. "There are lines you just can't cross, and he has crossed it today." PFA chief Gordon Taylor said the union would offer the striker help to deal with his temper. He said: "There is no doubting his football ability, that's why it is so disappointing and embarrassing when he lets himself down. "We have to work hard on anger management now. We have trained counsellors in this field and we will be offering their services to Liverpool and the player to try and improve matters." But Marseille's Joey Barton took to Twitter to urge Liverpool to back their player. He wrote: "Suarez is a good as a player as there is in world football at the minute. Yes, he's messed up and shouldn't have bitten another player but a player like him has to play right on the edge. "Without it he wouldn't be the talent he is. LFC would be mad not to back him IMO. If they don't I'm sure the queue of Champions League clubs would stretch round the block." It is the second biting incident in Suarez's career. He served a seven-match ban in the Netherlands while at Ajax after biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal. Meanwhile, Suarez has found a new brother in arms in former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, who famously bit the ear of opponent Evander Holyfield. According to Tyson's profile page on Twitter, he made Suarez his 432nd and most recent follow. Tyson took a chunk out of Holyfield's right ear in the third round of a bout in Las Vegas in June 1997, after which Holyfield, nicknamed the 'Real Deal', became known as the 'Meal Deal'. Tyson was disqualified from the fight and fined \$3m (£1.9m). |
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