Taking the bite out of leadership: Suarez's $120 m sale to Barcelona

Suarez and his bite victim Chielini

Just weeks after FIFA's bold move imposing a comprehensive four month ban on Uruguayan football star, Suarez , for his biting incident; he has been traded to FC Barcelona for a whopping $120m. And this is just the transfer fee. His current team Liverpool apparently let him go with a heavy heart, while Suarez himself apologized to his Liverpool fans, citing family reasons for shifting to Spain.  As the NYT noted, this is a not a story that should be used to inspire aspiring footballers. As usual, media reports have adopted views across the board. Some headlines suggest that Liverpool finally let him go because of the biting incident, while others suggest that Liverpool has lost Suarez after all. Predictably, none of the concerned parties mentioned the elephant in the room - the ban which prevents Suarez from even entering stadiums to practice, until October.  

What kind of a message does this sale send? Sports after all is more than just performance. It is about courage, fairplay and passion. What lessons can the public, especially children learn from this incident? That you can get away with almost anything as long as you "perform" ?  The FIFA has been reduced to a governing body whose actions do not have any effect beyond the letter of the law. What is the point of a four month ban when it is likely that, Barcelona's prize catch will be "presented" to the fans the very next day after the ban ends?   

Sadly, sports is another business, and money trumps. Short term tangible gains in ticket sales overshadow the long term gains of reputation and the ability to create a positive change through the sport. In my previous post a couple of days ago I mentioned how lucky tennis fans are to have  worthwhile role models at the top, who are true global ambassadors for the sport. David Beckham's global appeal is also because he comes across as a nice and approachable bloke; rather than just his achievements and good looks. Messi's almost prophet like appeal lies in his quiet passion and humility. Suarez can never dream of that kind of appeal; he will always be remembered for his boorishness, regardless of his achievements. Remember Zidane whom we remember more for his infamous head-butt than for his stellar play?    

Everyone, including Suarez deserves a second chance, except that this will be his fourth. Let's hope that FC Barcelona will have the courage to adopt a zero tolerance policy for future offences by Suarez. It owes it to sports.