Luis Suarez refused to apologize after ex-Liverpool star divided soccer at World Cup
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Luis Suarez courted controversy throughout his career, with the former Liverpool star coming to the attention of the wider world of soccer with one such moment during the 2010 World CupLuis Suarez celebrates with his Uruguay teammates after beating Ghana at the 2010 World Cup(Image: Getty Images)Luis Suarez is certainly no stranger to controversy, with the former Liverpool striker having regularly landed himself in trouble throughout his career.There are of course the infamous biting incidents, with the striker having been banned on three occasions after being caught on camera sinking his teeth into opposition players, including Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic during a game at Anfield.And there was the eight-game ban he served after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in 2011, an incident which left a stain on Liverpool after his teammates publicly supported him by wearing shirts bearing Suarez’s name and number - something which Jamie Carragher has since admitted was a mistake.Before he’d even joined Liverpool though, Suarez had already shrouded himself in controversy, having first come to the wider global audience during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.He was part of a Uruguay that had surprised many, having outperformed its South American counterparts Brazil and Argentina to reach the semi-finals - although the way in which they did so has divided supporters for years, and inevitably, Suarez was at the center of things.Having reached the quarter-finals, Uruguay came up against Ghana, the last remaining African side left in the tournament. Suarez watched on from the tunnel as Asamoah Gyan stepped up, before skying his penalty over the bar.Luis Suarez handles the ball on the goal line to deny Ghana's Dominic Adiyiah(Image: Getty Images)The sight of Suarez celebrating wildly as he made his way down the tunnel has only added to his reputation among many as such a controversial figure in the world of soccer.
Many painted Suarez as the villain for his handball, but back at home, he was seen as a hero. "I don't apologize about that, I did the handball, but the Ghana player missed the penalty, not me,” he said.Uruguay fans hold up a cardboard cutout of Luis Suarez's handball ahead of their 2022 meeting with Ghana(Image: Getty Images)"I could apologise if I injured a player with a tackle and got a red card, but in this situation I take a red card and the referee says penalty."It's not my fault, I didn't miss the penalty.
It's not my responsibility in this situation," he added.There will be no Suarez at this summer’s World Cup, with the 39-year-old having retired from international football in 2024. He did so having become his country’s all-time leading goalscorer, and he is regarded as a hero back in Uruguay.