Suárez- The Footballer

'66 and 67'

Luis Suàrez autobiography, Crossing The Line

‘Crossing The Line’ by Luis Suàrez is an interesting read.  13^th of January 2019, and I have gone through only 100 of its pages. Being a Barcelona fan for more than a decade now, I have my sympathies towards Suàrez.  On a personal front, the hard hitting story of the footballer’s journey in making it big has been hugely overshadowed by constant justification of his ‘acts’ on the field.  His rise to ranks from a country of not more than 3 million could have had an extended discussion, but instead he looks in all sorts of hurry to dvelve upon the biting incidents in different leagues.  While the last pages, in reaching a century of pages, gives a better picture of his ‘hand of Suarez’ in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, it still fails to ignite his initial struggles.  

The love of his life, Sofi has been an instrumental support since the very beginning and their relationship is portrayed as the lynchpin around which his life revolves.  She is the reason that forces Luis to play out of his skin until he earns a move to Europe, thereby bringing both of them in the same continent.  

When I read books, I make sure to have a few favourite pages  66 and 67 stuck out.

Why ?

Because it defines Luis Suàrez as a footballer.  Choice or not, he has been able to land clubs which have completely different ideologies.  Nacional, the club that gave his first international contract and allowed his teenage love to blossom, endorses a typical Uruguayan playing philosophy of running and chasing the ball, giving your 100%.  You join a Uruguay football club as a seven year old kid or an adult at 25, they send you running.  Skills, tactics, temperament, technique hardly concerns them, what matters most is that you have to be the first one to chase and win the ball.  It’s in their blood, to just not give up. Luis was bred the same way.

Now let’s consider the following big clubs that he goes on to represent- Ajax in Netherlands, Liverpool in England and then the mighty (biased) FC Barcelona in Spain.  Keeping aside Liverpool (to an extent; except when Brendan Rodgers tried playing short), the rest two clubs have been an epitome of passing, one touch football and possession, using more brains than legs, relying on tactical masterclasses  and wise decisions.  Ajax and Barca following in the famous philosophy of Total Football by the Phythagoras in Boots, Johan Cryuff as well a much polished version, the famous Tiki Taka.  

A Uruguayan representing two possession based clubs doesn’t happen often, even captaining the Dutch team (as well as Liverpool in Steven Gerrard's absence). What works in favour of Suàrez is his flexibility.  From keeping to playing as a center forward, he possess a strong mind, is willing to change for the better of the team and doesn’t give up.  Surprisingly, Martin Jol recognised this very aspect of Suàrez as contagious, rubbing off on his fellow teammates at Ajax.  Thus, handing him the armband.  Giving the famous captain’s armband to an outsider in one of the most iconic Dutch sides of all times speaks volumes about Luis’s character.

For me, this aspect of Luis Suarez defines him as a footballer.

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