Luis Suarez Verdict Should Signal the End of Public Witch Hunt

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Thursday that Luis Suarez's four-month ban for allegedly biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini will be upheld, and with that verdict the fans and media should put an end to a public witch hunt that has gone on for long enough.

As reported by BeIN Sports, CAS will allow the Uruguayan to start training with his new club Barcelona, and the player will be eligible to play his first match for the Blaugrana against Real Madrid, in the weekend of October 25-26.

Barcelona released a statement, as shared by BeIN Sports, which read:

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Following the announcement of the verdict by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding the appeal against the sanction imposed on Luis Suarez by FIFA, FC Barcelona hereby announces that the player will join the first team's training session scheduled for tomorrow Friday in the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.

Likewise, the public presentation of Suarez as a new FC Barcelona player will be held on Monday at the Camp Nou, on occasion of the Joan Gamper Trophy match [with Leon].

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That should have been the end of it. This saga has gone on for long enough, and with the final verdict now on the table, everyone should be able to accept the decision and move on. Instead, this is how Sky Sports reacted:

We get it. People love to hate a villain, and Suarez has done more than enough throughout the years to deserve such a role. Anytime the mercurial striker is mentioned, people need to bring up the controversy and how they feel about any potential punishment.

The constant media attention and near public shaming by fans and pundits alike are among the top reasons the Uruguay international is no longer playing in the Premier League.

The man gave up his life in Liverpool and moved his family to a different country. What more does he have to do? Even victim Chiellini forgave the controversial forward months ago, and even called on FIFA to reduce his punishment:

Yes, Suarez has made plenty of mistakes, and those will haunt him for the rest of his life. One of the best strikers of our generation, he will forever be remembered as much for the controversies as for his uncanny ability to put the ball in the back of the net.

Enough is enough. Everyone has had their say, including Richard Scudamore, who embarrassed himself and the league he represents when he felt the need to comment on Suarez instead of leaving things at a "no comment," per the Independent's Sam Wallace.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

We've had our fun and vented our frustrations, and now it's time to build the proverbial bridge and "get over it."

Suarez is gone. He's allowed to start training with his new teammates and finally start a new life in Spain, one where he will hope to avoid the controversy that followed him everywhere he went in England.

Allow him to do just that. Let him start over in Barcelona without dredging up the past at every turn. No good can come from the continuation of this public witch hunt that should have ended months ago.

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