FIFA World Cup: Baichung criticises Luis Suarez for another biting incident

Aditi Tyagi



Uruguay Striker Luis Suarez has been imposed with a four-month ban by FIFA for biting yet another opponent on the field. In an exclusive chat with Aditi Tyagi of Zee Media, former Indian skipper Baichung slammed the 27-year-old for his behaviour.



Excerpts from the conversation:



Ronaldo - world`s costliest player has been knocked out of the World Cup. Your reaction?



If you saw yesterday`s match between Portugal and Ghana, Portugal couldn`t capitalise on the chances which came their way. But Ronaldo has left the tournament with a consolation goal. Portugal would have qualified if they won by a margin of 3-4 goals. But that was not to be.



What went wrong with Portugal?



Turning point for Portugal was Pepe getting a red card. And also when they lost the first match 4-0, it was very difficult for them to make a comeback. We didn`t get to see the kind of play which was expected from them. There were disciplinary issues as well. Any team which concedes more goals faces the problem later on.



The performance from the European teams has been very poor in this World Cup?



Yes it`s true. Many of the European teams have been knocked out. They struggle when tournament is played in a South American country. I feel bad for Ghana. Ahead of their match with Portugal, they were short of cash. 18 crores were being sent for them. But now I think they will receive their dues in Ghana.



Do you think a four-month ban on Luis Suarez is harsh or should it have been more severe?



No I think it is justified. Suarez needs to learn and even if he does it again, he can never revover from it. Uruguay reached the knockout stage and Suarez`s exit is a major blow for them. It`s like taking out Messi from the Argentina team.



Suarez has become a butt of all jokes. The Brazilian players were seen pretending to bite each other during their training sessions.



Yes Suarez has become a joke everywhere, including the social media. Chiellini atleast had something to take way from this World Cup before heading to Italy. A lot has happened in this World Cup, but such incident is not good for a huge event like this.



Nobody has expected the American team to do well. But they have reached the knock out stage. Barack Obama has now hailed their performance and has said that his team can now win the World Cup.



They don`t have a big name but they play as a team. Their fight against Germany – the favourites to win the tournament was commendable. They were unlucky against Portugal where they conceded a goal in the last 30 seconds. But one has to praise their fighting spirit.