Suarez advised to seek professional help

Uruguay striker’s biting dilemma triggers calls for treatment.

RIO DE JANEIRO:

Uruguay star Luis Suarez returned home to a hero’s welcome on Friday after his World Cup ban for biting, as calls mounted for him to seek professional treatment.

Hundreds of well-wishers gathered in Montevideo to greet Suarez as Uruguayans, led by the country’s president, closed ranks around the disgraced football star.

Suarez was hit with a worldwide four-month ban from all football on Thursday after he sank his teeth into Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini.

Fifa General Secretary Jerome Valcke led calls for Suarez to seek help, brushing off suggestions that the Liverpool star’s punishment was too severe.

Asked if he had a message for Suarez, Valcke told reporters, “I think he should find a way to stop doing it.

“He should go through a treatment. It’s definitely wrong.”

The international professional footballer’s union FifPro said Fifa should have made mandatory treatment part of its sanction.

“Suarez should receive all the support he needs to deal with any off-field issues he may be experiencing at this time,” said a FifPro statement.

“This means that the focus should be on the rehabilitation and serious treatment of the player.”

Uruguay President Jose Mujica said in his weekly radio address that Fifa’s punishment of Suarez would become an ‘eternal shame’ for football.

“We think this will be remembered, this will remain among the worst moments in the history of football, said Mujica. “This will be an eternal shame in the story of World Cups.”

Later Friday, Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez also condemned Fifa’s punishment, telling reporters Suarez had been made a ‘scapegoat’.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2014.

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