Bitter farewell of sports stars

It’s a contact sport, this beautiful game. So there are innumerable altercations happening on the field — from tackles and elbows to aggressive headbutts. It would seem as if ‘Football’s Cannibal’ Luis Suarez is not alone in this notorious league of violent gents.

In fact, the attack on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini is Suarez’ third strike. The Liverpool frontman had previously bitten Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic on the arm. Suarez was also banned for seven matches in 2010 while playing for Ajax after TV replays showed the striker sinking his teeth into PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal.

Football matches see a flurry of red cards and it’s the nature of the game to see tackles where extreme energy and passion egg the players on. Players are even keen to provoke or attack. But, at the end of the day, what the referee sees is what matters.

However, when a sportsman takes aggression to a violent and self-defeating level, it is not a pretty sight. With Suarez’s bite and his country’s exit from the 2014 World Cup, the debate of ‘peaceful play’ has gathered pace and we who love the game, live and breathe it, find these lows taking away the very essence of sport and fairplay.

“I feel Fifa did the best possible thing by handing out a record ban to Suarez, as it shows the world football body is serious about protecting the integrity of the sport. Players on the global stage are role models for the younger generations and they need to show the way to millions of aspiring players.

This sort of behaviour is inexcusable, whether it’s during a World Cup or a local league match. Fifa should be given a big pat on the back,” says Kanishka Saran, VP, SPT Sports Management Pvt Ltd.

The Suarez incident also had fans going crazy. It was reported that a man in England had his ear bitten off and even the video of the attack was going viral. Apparently, the victim, who allegedly looked like Suarez, was walking on the streets when someone pounced on him and bit off an ear. Luckily, the ear was found and stitched back on.

It can also be recalled that earlier in February, the Egypt soccer riots killed over 70 people. When English club Tottenham visited Lazio in the Europa League this season, many Spurs fans were brutally attacked by the Italian club’s Ultras.

So, violence seems to breed violence. And this is also probably the reason why Fifa has taken such a strong stance against Suarez’ bite — banning him for four months with a fine of $112,000. Many football pundits feel the ban could have been reduced, but the message is clear — violence in sports is inexcusable.

Disappointed by the Suarez incident, sports psychologist and therapist, Prasun Duttachowdhary says, “It is extremely unprofessional for such world players to display such tactics. This is not the first of such aggressive acts — players seem to believe that such acts will get them headlines.” He feels that children watching matches will now be inspired by such negative role models, who play well but lose their temper.

To curb such instances he says that, “There needs to be an award for fair play and the most disciplined player in the tournament. That way, players might control their emotions and prove their mettle in a different manner.”

Diego’s Kung Fu
Early on Diego Maradona went into a cup final with Athletic Bilbao hungry for revenge, as Andoni Goikoetxea had severely injured him earlier in a league match. Unfortunately, Maradona failed to take his revenge. Frustrated with his inability to secure revenge, Maradona adopted a more direct approach! When the final whistle blew, Maradona launched kung fu kicks on several of Bilbao’s players, and was joined by several teammates.

Francesco Totti on Mario Balotelli
This particular incident shocked fans. With Roma losing to Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia, Totti probably wanted off the pitch so he kicked the back of Balotelli’s legs. Totti later clarified his attack by noting that Balotelli had said some things about him and Rome. He did apologise and luckily Balotelli emerged from the attack uninjured.

When Zidane headbutted Matarazzi
Zidane headbutted Marco Materazzi in the 110th minute of the 2006 World Cup final. It was a vicious, yet creative way to get his attention. Zidane, of course, does not regret his decision, despite the team’s loss on penalty kicks.

Eric Cantona’s Kung Fu at a supporter
In 1995, Eric Cantona was sent off after a hard foul on Crystal Palace defender Richard Shaw. Walking into the tunnel, Cantona lunged into the crowd, feet first, trying to take out a Crystal Palace fan! He then landed a few more punches before being subdued. He was fined and suspended.

Gallardo bit too much
In a celebratory dogpile after a dramatic goal in a 2001 Spanish League match, Sevilla striker Francisco Gallardo tenderly bit teammate Jose Antonio Reyes… in the scrotum and some reports have called it an affectionate bite! Gallardo was fined and suspended by the Royal Spanish Football Federation for violating “sporting dignity and decorum.”

Elizabeth Lambert
Elizabeth Lambert could be considered the most violent female footballer. Competing in the Mountain West women’s soccer tournament in 2009 for New Mexico, Lambert was booked and suspended by her team for her actions —  punching an opposing player straight into the back, and yanking a girl by her hair straight into the ground!

Mike Tyson bit off the ear of his opponent  
This 1997 heavyweight championship bout made history for all the wrong reasons. His second loss to the new champion Holyfield is legendary. Tyson was hit with some accidental head-butts during the bout and Mike retaliated with a nibble on the left ear. He then went on to bite off a chunk of Holyfield’s right ear! The boxer was disqualified and banned for life (it was later reduced), and also fined. In his 2002 bout, a brawl broke out during the pre-fight press conference. Entourages got involved and punches were thrown. At one point, Tyson bit the WBC president Jose Sulaiman and went off on a profanity-laden tirade.

Kermit Washington Punch
Washington unloaded on Houston Rocket and future coach Rudy Tomjanovich, breaking his jaw in addition to bones in his face. It is still considered the most gruesome of injuries in NBA history. Not only did mark the end of Tomjanovich’s season, Washington was levied the longest suspension of 60 days. It is one of the most brutal acts to take place on a basketball court. The doctors compared putting Tomjanovich’s skull and face back together to taping up a battered egg shell, it was reported.

Woody Hayes frustrated
During the 1978 Gator Bowl, Clemson nose guard Charlie Bauman intercepted an Art Schlichter pass and returned it down the OSU sideline. When he was finally tackled, Coach Hayes punched Bauman in the throat, leading to a brawl. An experienced and seasoned coach lashing out like that is still shocking. Hayes was fired after shaming both OSU and himself.

Steffi Graf and Monica Seles
During a 1993 quarterfinal match in Hamburg, Germany, a crazed Steffi Graf fan stabbed Monica Seles during a changeover. The man ran from the stands and stabbed the tennis star with a small blade, causing her to fall to the ground.

Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan
Tonya Harding found herself in the international spotlight after her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, conspired with Shawn Eckhardt and Shane Stant to physically assault her skating competitor Nancy Kerrigan at a practice session during the 1994 US Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. Kerrigan was attacked after practice by an unidentified man who struck her on the right knee with a blunt object. The attack jeopardised Kerrigan’s chances of qualifying for the Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

The sporting world was shocked when four men, including Jeff Gillooly, the ex-husband of her rival Tonya Harding were discovered to have planned and carried out the attack as he saw her as a threat to Harding’s Olympic medal quest.

Pepe does a Pepe
The most recent headbutt by Pepe (Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira) on Thomas Muller of Germany saw him being sent off with a red card. Pepe’s earlier history reiterates this needless aggression on the field. His two forceful kicks at Casquero in anger after he went down in the box a few years ago also saw Pepe get a red card and a lengthy ban! 

But that was not all — Under the guise of attempting to talk to Casquero, Pepe pulled Casquero’s hair, pressed his knee up his body, and squeezed his arm too. He then tried to step on Casquero’s arm. When forced off, Pepe took two punches at the two Getafe players protecting their teammate. It’s probably the reason why he is seen sitting on the bench at Real Madrid! Who want’s such angst and volatility on the field?