In the aftermath of the Internet memes bordering from the funny to the insulting ones and the FIFA football ban imposed on Uruguayan star player Luis Suarez's infamous biting of Italian player Giorgio Chiellini during a group match at the World Cup, several fans and even the victim himself thought that the career-threatening suspension from all football activity was too much as a penalty for player misconduct.
Uruguay team captain Diego Lugano has also given his thoughts about the FIFA suspension on Suarez, calling it an "act of barbarity" that breaches the human rights of his colleague, Belfast Telegraph reported. Lugano was also especially bitter with the suspension, considering that Suarez's football brilliance was conspicuously absent during Uruguay's second round match against Colombia on Saturday in the Maracana stadium, which lead to a 2-0 defeat. Colombia's James Rodriguez ushered his team to the quarterfinals thanks to his brilliant goals.
"It's a breach of human rights that a player cannot go into a stadium where there are 80,000 people or into a hotel with his team-mates, that he cannot work for four months. He has committed a crime, but this (ban) is barbarity. Not even a criminal would receive this penalty," Legano said.
Even Uruguay's President Jose Mujica chimed in his support for the embattled football player, and even labeled the FIFA leaders "sons of bitches," AFP reported. His comments were caught on live television when he was asked by a state-run TV sports show regarding his opinion about the Suarez ban.
Mujica was obviously surprised by his un-presidential candor as he immediately gasped and put his hand in his mouth after his comment, AFP said. However, the 79 year-old ex-guerilla gave his approval to the journalist to publish his remark. His wife, Senator Lucia Topolansky, who stood next to him, publicly expressed her support for the Uruguayan president's remark.
