He’s known as one of football’s most controversial stars — and now Barcelona striker Luis Suarez is in hot water again.
The Uruguayan has been banned for two Copa del Rey games after allegedly threatening Espanyol players in the tunnel after a 4-1 first leg home win in the competition Wednesday, sparking a brawl.
His coach Luis Enrique denied the claim, and Barca confirmed it will be appealing against the ban.
Espanyol had two players, Hernen Perez and Papakouly Diop, sent off during an ill-tempered derby game in which visiting goalkeeper Pau Lopez was accused of stamping on Lionel Messi.
The dismissal of Diop came after a verbal confrontation with Suarez.
Catalan newspaper Sport said referee Juan Martinez Munuera’s report noted: “At the end of the game, once in the tunnel, Barca’s No. 9, Suarez, while the Espanyol players were coming up the stairs, waited for them and shouted at them on various occasions.
“He said: ‘I’m waiting for you, come here! You’re a waste of space.’ It provoked a confrontation between players of both clubs and the security guards had to get involved, as did coaches of both teams.”
After being told Friday that Suarez would be suspended, Barcelona said in a statement: “FC Barcelona will immediately proceed to appeal the ban. If the sanction holds up, Suarez would miss the return leg next Wednesday and a hypothetical first leg of the quarterfinals should Barca qualify.
“In the appeal, FC Barcelona is expected to argue that the player, as he later stated, did not use the allegedly offensive words that were attributed to him in the referee’s official notes following the match.”
Diop claimed Suarez should also have been sent off, telling Carrusel Deportivo “We both insulted each other (but) I get sent off. The referee told me he didn’t hear us both, only me.”
Suarez is no stranger to controversy. He was found to have racially abused Manchester United defender Patrice Evra while playing for English club Liverpool in 2011 and was banned for eight matches.
He also received a lengthy ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup while representing Uruguay — the third time he had committed a biting offense.
However, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told CNN after Suarez had joined the club that summer that reports of a “no biting” clause being included in the striker’s contract were wide of the mark.
