Luis Suarez: A Dubious Player in the World of Football

Luis Suarez, in full Luis Alberto Suarez Diaz, born on January 24, 1987, is an Uruguayan football player who plays as a striker for the Uruguayan Primera Division club Nacional and Uruguay National Team. Suarez is considered one of his generation’s best players and one of the greatest strikers of all time. Short-named EI Pistolero, he is well known for finishing, passing and comfort with the ball.

He has achieved a Premier League Golden Boot, an Eredivisie Golden Boot, two European Golden Shoes and the Pichichi Trophy. He had secured over 500 career goals for the club and country. In 2005, he began his senior club career at Nacional. He is an all-time high scorer of FIFA World Cup qualifiers in CONMEBOL and an all-time leading goal scorer at the International level. Suarez has represented his nation at three editions of the FIFA World Cup, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, and four editions of the Copa America. 

Luis Suarez: A Detailed Glance into his Personal Life

According to FIFA’s profile, Luis Suarez builds goal-scoring chances with his energetic shot and has exceptional technical ability. He was regarded as the ruling trio alongside Neymar and Lionel Messi, achieving the treble of La Liga and the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League in his first season. He acquired Pichichi Trophy and his second European Gold Shoe turning into the first player since 2009 to achieve both awards other than Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi. In 2020 he signed for Atletico Madrid, achieving his fifth La Liga title in his debut season. He had a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier Adidas prior to switching to Puma in 2018. 

Luis Suarez: Journey of his Debatable Career of Soccer

Youth

He resided his early years in the Cerro neighbourhood in Salto, where he performed Youth football at Sportivo Artigas. He shifted with his family to Montevideo at the age of seven, where he played youth football in Urreta. 

Nacional

Luis Suarez was admitted local side of Nacional Youth Team at age 14. He made his first team debut against Atletico Junior in May 2005 in the Copa Libertadores. He secured his first goal in September 2005. Also helped Nacional win the 2005-06 Uruguayan League with ten goals in 27 games. 

Groningen 

When Luis Suarez was 19, he joined Groningen. He struggled a lot because he could not speak Dutch or English and performed for the second team to adjust to the Dutch game. Bruno Silva, his fellow Uruguayan and teammate, support him in settling in the Netherlands and performing for a new team. He goes the extra mile to learn Dutch and his teammates appreciate his efforts with the language. Suarez made his mark in a 4-3 home win over Vitesse where there were ten minutes to go. He eventually won a penalty and secured two goals. He finished with 10 goals in 29 league appearances to support Groningen in complete eighth in the 2006-07 Eredivisie. 

Ajax

Luis Suarez signed a five-year contract with Ajax on August 9, 2007, for a shifting fee of €7.5 million. And made his club debut against Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League Qualifier. He completed second in the League table in the 2007-08 season and secured 17 goals in 33 League appearances positioning a flourishing striking partnership with League-high scorer Klaas Jan-Huntelaar. In the 2008-09 season, Ajax head coach Marco van Basten noticed how Luis Suarez played an essential part in securing Ajax’s goals, but he got upset when Suarez got yellow cards. For one match, Suarez was suspended because he received the seventh yellow card of the season against Utrecht in a 2-0 win. 

Luis Suarez secured two goals in the second leg of the KNVB Cup final as the tournament’s high scorer completed. Ajax achieved the Cup final 6-1 on aggregate over Feyenoord, but they completed second in the League behind Twente. 

Liverpool

On January 31, 2011, Luis Suarez signed a deal of five and a half years with Liverpool till 2016. He was the club’s most expensive signing till the entry of Andy Carroll. He seeks the number 7 T-shirt worn by Liverpool legends Peter Beardsley, his new manager Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish. On February 2, he made his Liverpool debut against Stoke city at Anfield in a 2-0 win. He is considered one of Liverpool’s best players in his partial season. He completed the 2010-11 seasons with 4 goals in 13 games. In an incident, Luis Suarez was found guilty on a three-person panel from the Football Association of racially exploiting Patrice Evra during a game against Manchester United in October, where he was issued an eight-match suspension and a £40,000 fine. He disagreed with this decision. 

He secured his first goal of the 2012-13 season in a 2-2 draw with champions Manchester City at Anfield. Luis Suarez made his 100th Premier League appearance securing a 3-0 win over Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium on March 1, 2014. He was titled as one of the six players nominated for the PFA Player of the Year Award for the second consecutive season. 

Barcelona

On July 11, 2014, he accepted a five-year contract with Barcelona for an unrevealed transfer fee. However, the document leaked. Barca assured that he would wear the Number 9 Shirt for season 2014-15.

Luis Suarez missed the first part of the season after being found liable for biting Italian player Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was banned from football activities as part of his suspension, including coaching for Barcelona. The CAS was only allowed to play warm-up matches. He made his Barcelona debut on August 18 against club Leon at Mexico at Camp Nou, substituting Rafinha for the final 14 minutes of an eventual 6-0 win in the Gamper Trophy. After failing to join Juventus on September 23, 2020, he signed a two-year contract with Atletico Madrid.  

Luis Suarez: International Career

Luis Suarez insisted on playing with Uruguay in the 2007 U-20 World Cup scoring rounds. But his Groningen club did not release him to play. He performed in the tournament finals and secured two goals in four appearances. Oscar Tabarez titled Suarez to Uruguay’s 23-man World Cup group in June 2010. During the 16-round against South Korea, he scored both goals in a 2-1 win. Luis Suarez completed the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign as a high scorer in the South American section with 11 goals in 14 games. On June 26 FIFA Disciplinary Committee forbade Suarez from 9 International matches. Which means he would not participate in the further World Cup. This ban governs him out of 2015 Copa America as well. 

In the qualification procedure for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Luis Suarez secured an equalizer against Brazil in Recife for a 2-2 draw on March 25, 2016. He secured his 50th International goal with a penalty in opposition to the Czech Republic in the semi-finals.

On June 21, 2022, Luis Suarez secured a 1-1 draw against Chile in Uruguay’s second squad match of the 2021 Copa America in Brazil. However, Uruguay lost in the quarter-finals against Colombia on penalties after a goalless draw. 

Luis Suarez: His Accolades Achieved till Date

Honours

Nacional 

• Primera Division: 2005-06, 2022
• Torneo Clausura: 2005-06, 2022

Ajax

• Eredivisie: 2010-11
• KNVB Cup: 2009-10

Liverpool

• Football League Cup: 2011-12
• FA Cup Runner-up: 2011-12

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19
• Copa del Rey: 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18
• Supercopa de Espana: 2016, 2018
• UEFA Champions League: 2014-15
• UEFA Super Cup: 2015
• FIFA Club World cup: 2015

Atletico Madrid

• La Liga: 2020-21

Uruguay

• Copa America: 2011

Individual Honours

• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010
• Ajax Player of the Year (Rinus Michels Award): 2008-09, 2009-10
• Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2009-10
• Eredivisie Golden Boot: 2009-10
• IFFHS World’s Best Top Division Goal Scorer: 2010, 2014, 2016
• Copa America Best Player: 2011
• Copa America Team of the Tournament: 2011
• PFA Team of the Year: 2012-13 Premier League, 2013-14 Premier League
• Liverpool Player of the Season: 2012-13, 2013-14
• Premier League Player of the Month: December 2013, March 2014
• Liverpool Player’s Player of the Season: 2013-14
• Liverpool Goal of the Season: 2013-14
• PFA Player’s Player of the Year: 2013-14
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 2013-14
• Premier League Player of the Season: 2013-14
• Premier League Golden Boot: 2013-14
• FSF Player of the Year: 2013-14
• European Golden Shoe: 2013-14, 2015-16
• Trofeo EFE: 2014-15, 2020-21
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2014-15, 2015-16
• ESM Team of the Year: 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2015
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Boot: 2015
• FIFA Club World Cup MVP of the Final Match Trophy: 2015
• La Liga Pichichi Trophy: 2015-16
• Copa del Rey High Scorer: 2015-16
• La Liga Best World Player: 2015-16
• Barcelona Player of the Season (Trofeo Aldo Rovira): 2015-16
• UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2015-16, 2016-17
• FIFA FIFPro World11: 2016
• La Liga Player of the Month: May 2016, December 2017, October 2018, December 2019
• Trofeo Alfredo Di Stefano: 2020-21

A Thorough Information of Suarez’s Family History 

Luis Suarez was birth in Salto, Uruguay, to Rodolfo Suarez and Sandra Diaz. Rodolfo, his father, is an ex-footballer and former soldier. His siblings were named Giovanna, Luis, Maxi, Diego and Leticia. He is the fourth among seven boys. Paolo Suarez, his older brother, is a retired professional football player who finally played for Isidro Metapan in EI Salvador. When Suarez was seven, he was shifted to Montevideo with his family. His parents separated when he was nine. He is a mixed race, with public records directing his having a black grandfather. He published his autobiography Crossing the Line- My Story in 2014. 

His Early Relationship Turned Out to be Successful Marriage

Luis Suarez married Sofia Balbi on December 26, 2009. He has three children named Delfina Suarez, Benjamin Suarez and Lauti Suarez. Suarez started dating Sofia at the age of 15. And got hitched to her in 2009. They shared a fruitful relationship from the beginning of their relationship. Suarez support Sofia for being a positive influencer to him.

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