PREMIER LEAGUE CHIEF executive Richard Scudamore has spoken of his relief at seeing Luis Suarez leave Liverpool for Barcelona.
The Uruguayan forward won a host of accolades at the end of last season including the Premier League Player of the Season and PFA Player of the Season after scoring 31 goals to help Liverpool finish second in the top flight.
However, he has never been far from controversy and made the headlines for the wrong reasons by biting Giorgio Chiellini during this year’s World Cup, earning a ban from all footballing activity until the end of October.
Suarez has been caught biting opponents three times in his career, having done so while playing for Ajax in 2010 and Liverpool last year.
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Having also picked up a suspension for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra during his Anfield spell, Scudamore described the striker as “an accident waiting to happen” and believes England’s top flight will not miss Suarez’s controversies.
“I think probably the time had come,” said Scudamore. “He’s a great player and I’m not taking anything away from his talents: he was voted by both his own players and the media last year the player of the year and deservedly so.
“He’s great to have but an accident waiting to happen, and if you spend your time trying to promote what’s good about the Premier League, you’re always waiting for the next thing to come along.
“And this one in the summer, although it was with Uruguay, although it didn’t directly involve the Premier League, clearly it reflected on Liverpool as one of our great clubs. And it reflected on us.
“He’s done his time here, but I can’t say I’m sorry to see him go. I think it was good business on a number of levels from Liverpool to move Suarez on.”
Having appealed his four-month FIFA ban, Suarez’s fate will be decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday.
