Uruguay president Jose
Mujica has slammed
Fifa for their treatment
of Luis Suarez, claiming
he needs help from a
psychiatrist rather than
a ban from football.
Suarez received a nine-game international
suspension and a four-month ban from all football-
related activity – along with a fine – after being
found guilty of biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini in
Uruguay’s 1-0 win on June 24 in the group stages of
the World Cup.
President Mujica was scathing in his assessment of
Fifa in the immediate aftermath of the punishment,
calling football administrators “a bunch of old sons
of b******,” and has now added that the new
Barcelona signing would be far better off with
psychiatric help, rather than a widespread ban.
“He comes from a poor background and his main
intelligence is in his feet,” the Uruguayan leader
said in an interview with Brazilian newspaper Folha
de Sao Paulo.
“It’s better to take him to hospital and once there,
see a psychiatrist.
“I’m not disputing the sporting sanctions, they’re
fine. What I’m disputing is that there are certain
things that shouldn’t have anything to do with the
ban.
“The fact he can’t go on any football pitch, that he
can’t be with any of his team-mates in the national
team, he can’t go to a football stadium or even
support a charity event linked with football.
“It’s crazy! Not even a government can prohibit
someone from entering a football stadium, without
the signature of a judge. Then Fifa come along and
say he can’t do that for four months… without even
a legal tribunal.”
Mujica, once dubbed ‘the world’s poorest president’
due to his austere lifestyle, added that Fifa has
displayed an old-fashioned attitude over the course
of the affair as the world waits to see Suarez play for
Barcelona following his €88 million move from
Liverpool.
“I believe Fifa have a mentality of old people,” the
79-year-old added.
“They want to appear as though they’re learning
from their mistakes, but never do. The only thing
they generate is hatred and resentment. What this
lad needs is someone to give him a helping hand.
“Now we’ll get to see [Suarez] playing alongside
Neymar and [Lionel] Messi. We don’t know when
that will be, though.”