Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlwiz 'swares]; born 24 January 1987), commonly known as Luis Suárez and nicknamed "El Pistolero" (The Gunslinger),
is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Uruguayan
national team. He is a striker who has been praised as an excellent goal
scorer with "remarkable technical ability" who is also known for creating chances for his teammates.
Suárez
was born in Salto, Uruguay, and moved with his family to Montevideo,
where he grew up with a single mother and six siblings. In 2005, he
began his professional career at Nacional in Montevideo. In 2006, at age
19, he moved to the Netherlands to play for Groningen in the
Eredivisie. Suárez transferred to Ajax in 2007 and made a major impact
at the Amsterdam club. In 2008–09 he was named club Player of the Year
and he led Ajax in scoring, although he was suspended for both fighting
with a teammate and for getting seven yellow cards during the season.
The following year he was named the club captain, led the Eredivisie in
scoring with 35 goals in 33 games and was named Dutch Footballer of the
Year. He scored 49 goals in all competitions and Ajax won the KNVB Cup.
In the 2010–11 season he scored his one hundredth Ajax goal and joined
an elite group of players from the club, including Johan Cruyff, Marco
van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp, to do so. But that season he was also
involved in an incident in which he bit the shoulder of PSV player Otman
Bakkal during a game. He was branded the "Cannibal of Ajax" and
suspended seven games. During his suspension, in January 2011, he
transferred to Liverpool for €26.5 million (£22.8 million). During his
partial season at Liverpool, Suárez was one of the team's best players
and helped the club move from twelfth in the league in mid-January to
finish sixth.
Suárez
represented Uruguay at the youth level in the 2007 U-20 World Cup. In
2007 he scored in his senior team debut against Colombia but was also
sent off for a second yellow card. In the 2010 World Cup he played an
important role for Uruguay's fourth place finish and scored three
goals. However, he was also involved in one of the tournament's most
controversial incidents in the final minutes of extra time against
Ghana; in a tied game, he saved a goal with his hands to prevent his
team from losing. He was given a red card, but the ensuing penalty kick
was missed; Uruguay advanced after winning the shootout. He was
labeled a villain and a cheat but also a hero for sacrificing himself
for his team. In 2011, Suárez scored four goals for Uruguay as they won
a record fifteenth Copa América, and he was named Player of the
Tournament.
Ajax
Suárez signed a five-year contract with Ajax and made his club debut in the Champions League qualifier against Slavia Prague. He scored one goal in his Eredivisie debut for the club and two goals in his home debut at the Amsterdam Arena. Ajax finished second in league in the 2007–08 season and Suárez scored 17 goals in 33 league appearances.
Other
European clubs began to show their interest in Suárez because of the
number of goals Suárez was scoring for Ajax; his play that summer at
the 2010 World Cup increased their interest.
Soon after Suárez returned from his World Cup campaign, he scored his
one hundredth goal for Ajax in a 1–1 home draw against PAOK in a
Champions League qualifier.
This put him in an elite group of players, including Johan Cruyff, van
Basten and Dennis Bergkamp, to score 100 or more goals with the club.
Suárez continued his scoring run with a hat trick against De Graafschap
in a 5–0 win.
But on 20 November 2010, Suárez was in trouble again when he bit PSV's
Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during a 0–0 draw. Ajax suspended him for
two games and fined him an undisclosed amount which the club said they
would donate to a "good cause". The Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf branded Suárez the "Cannibal of Ajax". The KNVB increased Suárez's suspension to seven league matches. Suárez apologized for his actions through a video he uploaded to his Facebook page.
During the suspension Ajax was in contact with other European clubs
interested in Suárez; on 28 January 2011 they accepted a €26.5 million
(£22.8 million) offer for Suárez from English club Liverpool.
Despite leaving while suspended, Suárez departed Ajax on good terms,
and he was given a farewell sendoff after an Ajax game. During the
sendoff an Ajax coach spoke to him and the crowd and said how the club
wished he could stay longer; the crowd applauded their agreement and
fireworks followed. Ajax ended the 2010–11 season as Eredivisie champions and Suárez was given a winner’s medal for his seven goals in 13 appearances.
While he was at Ajax, Suárez scored 111 goals in 159 appearances.
Suárez recognized Ajax legends, van Basten, Bergkamp, Frank de Boer and
Henk ten Cate, for teaching him about football during his time at the
club. He noted that van Basten taught him the techniques and movement
required for playing forward and he learned from all of them to be
composed in front of the goal and not react to fouls.
Liverpool
Until the arrival of Andy Carroll from Newcastle United a few hours later, Suárez was Liverpool's most expensive signing. The next day, Suárez passed his medical and signed a five-and-a-half-year deal through 2016. Suárez requested the number seven jersey, but at the time did not realize that it was worn by Liverpool "legends" such as his new manager Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan. After he learned about the players who previously wore that number, he said he appreciated the expectations associated with it. Suárez made his Liverpool debut on 2 February against Stoke City at Anfield in a 2–0 win; he came on as a substitute and scored Liverpool's second goal in front of the Kop in the sixty-third minute. He was one of Liverpool’s best players during his partial season and helped Liverpool go from from twelfth in the league in mid-January to finish sixth. He finished the 2010–11 Premier League season with four goals in 13 games.
Suárez began Liverpool's 2011–12 Premier League season by missing a
penalty and scoring the opening goal in a 1–1 draw against Sunderland.
Suárez followed this up by coming on as a substitute against Arsenal
to be heavily involved in Liverpool's first goal and then score the
second. The 2–0 win was the first against Arsenal in London for eleven
years. He was awarded man of the match against Bolton, Suárez then scored the second goal for Liverpool in his first Merseyside derby against Everton in a 2–0 victory.
After a 1–1 draw against Manchester United on 15 October, he was accused of racially abusing Patrice Evra and the English Football Association opened up an investigation into the incident. Suárez wrote on his Twitter and Facebook pages that he was upset by the accusation and denied the claims.
On 1 November, Suarez was named as one of the 23 finalists for the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
On 16 November, the FA announced it would charge Suárez with "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour contrary to FA rules", including "a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Patrice Evra." Liverpool released a statement announcing Suárez would plead innocent, adding that they would "remain fully supportive" of him.
After a 1–1 draw against Manchester United on 15 October, he was accused of racially abusing Patrice Evra and the English Football Association opened up an investigation into the incident. Suárez wrote on his Twitter and Facebook pages that he was upset by the accusation and denied the claims.
On 1 November, Suarez was named as one of the 23 finalists for the FIFA Ballon d'Or.
On 16 November, the FA announced it would charge Suárez with "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour contrary to FA rules", including "a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Patrice Evra." Liverpool released a statement announcing Suárez would plead innocent, adding that they would "remain fully supportive" of him.
International Career
Suárez
was invited to play at the youth level for Uruguay in the qualifying
rounds for the 2007 U-20 World Cup, but his club, Groningen, did not
release him to play. He did play in the tournament proper, and he scored two goals in four appearances. His goals came in a group stage draw against Spain and in the Round of 16 against the US, but the US won 2–1 and Uruguay was knocked out of the tournament.
Suárez made his senior debut for Uruguay on 8 February 2007 in a 3–1
win against Colombia. He was sent off in the eighty-fifth minute after
receiving a second yellow card. Suárez played in 19 of 20 games in 2010 World Cup qualifying and the inter-confederation playoffs and scored five goals.
In the 2011 Copa América tournament, Suárez scored in Uruguay's opening game, a 1–1 draw with Peru.Uruguay
finished second in their group and advanced to the knockout round with a
win and two draws. In the quarterfinals, Uruguay finished regulation
and extra time tied at 1–1 with tournament hosts Argentina. Uruguay won
the shootout 5–4 and Suárez converted his penalty. Suárez scored both goals in Uruguay’s 2–0 semifinal win over Peru and was named Man of the Match. In the final, Suárez scored the first goal and Uruguay beat Paraguay 3–0 for their record fifteenth Copa América title. Suárez scored four goals in the tournament and was named Player of the Tournament.
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