Be careful what you wish for with Suarez. Adidas AG (ETR:ADS) (OTCMKTS:ADDYY) had Luis Suarez baring his teeth in a series of ads before the World Cup. The problem? He’s once again sunk his teeth into another player.
There is no denying the quality of Luis Suarez. There is, however, a big problem. He bites. In fact, you have a considerable better chance of being bitten by him that being bitten by a shark. This understanding has given birth to a new selfie, fans in Brazil posing for shots with Adidas AG (ETR:ADS) (OTCMKTS:ADDYY) posters that simulate another biting incident no matter what uniform you’re wearing.
I almost feel bad for Luis Suarez, almost is the operative word. He’s clearly sick and needs help and there is no denying his quality. That said, you can’t bite when you get frustrated and he’s now twice “gotten away with it.” In the last two incidents, it was missed by the official each time when he should have been sent off the pitch. Now, Suárez has received the largest (time) ban in FIFA’s history but that won’t console the Italians who lost the match when he wasn’t given a straight red card despite an Italian player being sent off for a lesser offense, albeit for a very reckless tackle.
Adidas statement
“Such behavior cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field,” Claudio Sulser, chairman of FIFA’s disciplinary committee, said after announcing the ban that bars him from all football activity for four months along with a fine of 100,000 Swiss Francs or $112,000.
Adidas AG (ETR:ADS) (OTCMKTS:ADDYY) has yet to make any decisions regarding the player’s endorsement of the company saying that the sponsorship deal “remains unchanged at this time,” but they are doing their best to remove existing ads while not promoting him any further as the knockout stages begin.
“We will again be reminding him of the high standards we expect from our players,” Adidas spokeswoman Lauren Lamkin said.
Maradona chimes in
Luis Suarez is not being done any favors by the defense presented by former Argentina great Diego Maradona whose recreational and performance enhancing drug use is well documented.
On TV yesterday, the little magician said, “The FIFA sanction is shameful, they have no sensitivity towards the fans, they might as well handcuff him and throw him in Guantanamo.”
‘The sanction on Luis is a way of punishing Uruguayan clubs for asking CONMEBOL (the South American confederation) for a fairer share of money.
‘It hurts that they have cut short the career of a lad who is a winner. It’s an excessive suspension, FIFA cannot talk about morals to anyone.’
The former Barcelona, Napoli and Boca Juniors forward added: ‘Suarez didn’t kill anyone. This is an unjust punishment, the act of an incredible mafia.’
While FIFA is a truly horrible organization and tantamount to a mafia, Maradona is still defending a player that can’t stop biting opposing players.
