20 Key Moments of Luis Suarez's Career so Far
It's been eventful, and as Luis Suarez prepares for a new chapter in his life and career, it must be tempting for the Uruguayan to look back on what has gone before.
After moving to Europe from South America, Suarez has both enjoyed some magical moments and had some fairly high-profile lows, but what are the key moments in the career of a forward who always seems to be in the headlines?
Here are 20 of them.
The Move to Europe
1 of 20
Goals at youth levels and with the first team at Nacional were all well and good, but the teenage Suarez was only ever going to find true validation in Europe, where he longed to move to in order to be closer to the girlfriend who has now become his wife.
He got his wish in 2006 when he helped engineer a move to the Dutch club Groningen, and so a career was born...
Swapping Groningen for Ajax
2 of 20
One year in the Eredivisie was enough to make the European giants Ajax convinced that this young Uruguayan would be a good player for them. Following a lengthy negotiation and a tribunal, Suarez would move to Amsterdam in 2007.
He scored once on his league debut, and twice on his home debut. Ajax knew that they'd found someone special.
Striking Up a Partnership with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
3 of 20
When Suarez arrived in Amsterdam, the undoubted star of the Ajax side was Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, and the pair struck up a lethal partnership which produced 50 goals as the side finished second in 2007/08.
Suarez was seen as more of the provider in that duo, scoring 17 goals compared to Huntelaar's 33, but when the Dutchman's strikes earned him a move to Real Madrid midway through the following season, the Uruguayan became the star.
Guiding Ajax to Cup Success
4 of 20
Suarez took over as captain and was now the team's inspiration.
He scored a remarkable 49 goals in 48 Ajax appearances in 2009/10, a season in which the Amsterdam club came second in the league but won the Dutch Cup, with Suarez typically scoring twice in the final against Feyenoord before going on to lift the trophy.
Putting Uruguay into the World Cup Quarter-Finals
5 of 20
He headed for the World Cup determined to showcase his talents as one of the best emerging forwards on the planet, and scored the winner in a group-stage victory over Mexico which took Uruguay into the second round.
Once there, his superb double strike in a 2-1 win over South Korea in Port Elizabeth established him as one of the best forwards at the tournament, although a much more infamous moment was to come in the quarter-final...
The Ghana Incident
6 of 20
In what became one of the most infamous moments in World Cup history (although we'll see a second one of those later), Suarez's deliberate handling of a Dominic Adiyiah header in the closing stages of extra-time denied Ghana a place in the tournament's semi-finals, which they would have become the first African side to reach.
Asamoah Gyan's miss from the subsequent penalty prompted wild celebrations from the sent-off Suarez, who repeated the jubilation when Uruguay won the penalty shootout. He was a hero to his country, but a villain to pretty much everyone else.
Biting Bakkal
7 of 20
Back at Ajax, the Ghana incident had meant that Suarez was now a watched man, and soon after he scored his 100th goal for the club he snapped. Literally.
A bizarre bite to the shoulder of PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal landed him with a two-game suspension by club and a seven-match punishment by the Dutch FA. At this point he was already in contact with another club though, and would never play for Ajax again.
The Move to Liverpool
8 of 20
January 2011, transfer deadline day, and what turned into one of the most momentous days in Liverpool's long history.
The Reds sold star forward Fernando Torres to Chelsea for £50 million, paid an eye-watering £35 million for the young English forward Andy Carroll from Newcastle and shelled out £22.8 million for the services of Suarez, who fans remembered from his World Cup exploits. A three-and-a-half year rollercoaster ride was about to begin.
Single-Handedly Taking on Manchester United
9 of 20
Suarez scored on his debut after coming off the bench against Stoke, but it wasn't until a month later that he really announced his arrival in English football.
Playing against Liverpool's intense rivals Manchester United, the Uruguayan embarked on an incredible solo run which saw him eliminate the entire United defence before shuffling the ball across the goal line for Dirk Kuyt to tap in. It was the first goal of a hat-trick for Kuyt, but fans left Anfield talking about Suarez.
Winning the Copa America
10 of 20
At the end of his first half-season at Liverpool, Suarez headed off for Argentina to play in a Copa America in which Uruguay were expected to compete well in but ultimate fall short to either Brazil or the hosts. They did much better than that.
With Suarez as the catalyst alongside the likes of Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani, Uruguay swept into the final where they blew away Paraguay to win their 15th Copa crown and their first since 1995. Suarez scored four goals, including the opener in the final, and he was named the player of the tournament.
The Evra Incident
11 of 20
An incident which was to shape his future in England was just around the corner, though, with Suarez accused of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra in a meeting between Liverpool and United in October 2011.
It was a claim that Suarez denied, but after an FA panel was assembled to pore all over the evidence, Suarez was found guilty on the balance of probabilities in December. Despite Liverpool's full backing, he was banned for eight matches and fined £40,000, with the damage done to his reputation far more relevant.
Returning to Win a Trophy
12 of 20
Suarez had dragged Liverpool's name through the mud, but the Reds felt that there was enough evidence to suggest that he was harshly treated and so they continued to back him.
When he returned to the side he did so under a cloud of public derision, but he was to help the side in their push for honours. Suarez played as the Reds won the League Cup by beating Cardiff City on penalties at Wembley after a 2-2 draw. It proved to be his only trophy at Liverpool.
Brendan Rodgers and Daniel Sturridge Arrive at Liverpool
13 of 20
The League Cup win and an FA Cup Final weren't enough for Kenny Dalglish to keep his job, and Liverpool brought in Brendan Rodgers from Swansea in the summer of 2012.
It didn't happen overnight, but Rodgers was to gradually alter the way the Reds played, with Suarez's performances improving as a result. In January 2013, he signed Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea and so a prolific partnership was born. Both scored on Sturridge's debut, an FA Cup win at Mansfield Town, with Suarez's strike causing another handball outrage.
The Ivanovic Bite
14 of 20
Suarez had been excellent throughout 2012/13 for Liverpool, scoring 30 goals in 44 matches in all competitions in a campaign which came to an abrupt end in April.
Having conceded a penalty due to a needless handball, minutes later Suarez was shown to have bitten the shoulder of the Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic when the pair tried to meet a Steven Gerrard cross. The incident was missed by the referee, with Suarez staying on the pitch to score a last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw. He was later charged with violent conduct, given a 10-game suspension by the FA and even criticised by UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
Missing out on Arsenal Move
15 of 20
With Liverpool missing out on Champions League football again, Suarez now wanted out.
His agents attempted to seal a move for him to either Real Madrid or Arsenal in the summer of 2013, with the latter having a £40,000,001 bid rejected by Liverpool despite the belief that it had triggered a release clause in Suarez's contract. Despite several pleas to be allowed to move, Suarez was forced to stay by his club. He would give Liverpool one more season.
Taking It Up a Level
16 of 20
When he returned from his biting ban, Suarez went straight back into a Liverpool team which were now determined to take it up a level as they battled near the top of the Premier League.
During one staggering spell in December, the forward scored 10 goals in four Premier League games, including four in the same match against Norwich City. He was now firmly established as the best forward in the division, and was breaking all sorts of scoring records.
Falling Short in the Title Race
17 of 20
Against all expectations, Liverpool's title challenge just kept going and going, and from being given no hope by many, they entered the final few weeks of the campaign with many expecting them to take the crown.
However, the wheels fell off during a home loss to Chelsea and then a remarkable 3-3 draw at Crystal Palace which virtually handed the title to Manchester City. Suarez scored 31 goals in 33 league games, but he was to play his final match for the Reds on the final day of the season at home to Newcastle. A new chapter awaited.
Killing off England's World Cup Hopes
18 of 20
Before that, though, came the World Cup in Brazil, of which there were fears that Suarez would miss due to an injury he initially picked up in that Newcastle game.
He spent Uruguay's opening defeat to Costa Rica on the bench before returning to face England in Sao Paulo. Given his history with the company, it was never going to be a match which passed off quietly, and sure enough the forward notched two goals to give the Uruguayans a 2-1 win which all but knocked the English out.
However, just like his World Cup experience four years earlier, there was about to be controversy.
The Chiellini Bite
19 of 20
Days later in Natal, Uruguay faced a must-win match against Italy with both seeing their World Cup futures on the line.
Minutes after he'd missed a presentable chance, Suarez copied the Ivanovic incident of 14 months earlier when he bit the shoulder of Italy's Giorgio Chiellini. Again it was missed by the officials, but after Diego Godin scored the winner to put Italy through, Suarez was banned from all football activity for four months, whilst he was also suspended for nine competitive Uruguay matches. It was one of the harshest punishments ever seen in football, but plenty agreed it was deserved.
The Move to Barcelona
20 of 20
Liverpool were now coming under pressure to sell Suarez given his misdemeanours, and with Barcelona lurking since before the bite, the Catalan club's charm offensive to try and land the forward went up several notches.
A couple of weeks after his ban was announced, Liverpool agreed a fee to sell a player who at the time was banned from even entering any football stadia. Barca confirmed the move in mid-July, after their influence on an apology to Chiellini for the bite. His move was secure, even though Suarez was going to be unable to play for his new club until late October.
.jpg?w=480 "Cardinals Draft Love Football")
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")
