888 Poker Terminates Luis Suarez Sponsorship After World Cup Bite Incident

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Friday, June 27th, 2014 | Written by Lucy Brown

A month ahead of the FIFA World Cup kicking off in Brazil on 12th June, 888poker announced it had signed top striker Luis Suarez as its new brand ambassador. Half way through the competition, however, and the poker operator has decided to drop the 27 year-old Uruguayan footballer after he bit the shoulder of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup match this week. Following 888poker’s decision, the company released a statement on its website, saying:

“888poker signed Luis Suarez following a fantastic season for which his achievements were widely recognized. Regrettably, following his actions during Uruguay’s World Cup match against Italy on Tuesday, 888poker has decided to terminate its relationship with Luis Suarez with immediate effect.”

Largest suspension in football history

After carefully analyzing the footage, soccer’s governing body FIFA handed Suarez the longest suspension in football history, consisting of a four-month football ban, including missing Uruguay’s next nine international games. As well as missing the rest of the World Cup, the suspension will also eat into his league career with UK team Liverpool when the season resumes on August 16th.

Nevertheless, Suarez is no stranger to controversy, especially ones involving biting, as twice before the South American has been banned for sinking his teeth into the opposition, including a seven match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in 2010, and a 10 match ban for biting PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal in 2013.

No remorse?

In spite of the horrific dimension to his serial biting, Suarez appears unrepentant, and even labelled the incident as just “things that happen on the pitch and you should not make such a big deal out of them.”

Incredibly, Uruguay’s football federation have also dismissed the bite as merely “an act of immaturity,” and vowed to appeal the decision labeling FIFA’s punishment as “excessive.” The views of the soccer organization also seem to be shared by a high proportion of the country’s supporters, with one such fan Juan Jose Monzillo, suggesting an unsavory explanation for FIFA’s decision.

“They clearly wanted to kick Suarez out of the World Cup. Uruguay is a small country that eliminated two big nations like Italy and England and it doesn’t benefit FIFA to let Uruguay continue playing.”

Adidas currently reviewing their sponsorship

Fortunately, the brands sponsoring Luis Suarez have taken an all together more stringent view on the matter, and in addition to 888poker dropping the soccer star, other sponsors are now reviewing their own deals with the player. Not only has Suarez already been pulled from all commercial activities for the rest of the FIFA World Cup, but top sponsor Adidas has also expressed its disapproval of his unsporting behavior. Commenting on the matter, an Adidas statement, said:

“Adidas fully supports FIFA’s decision. Adidas certainly does not condone Luis Suarez’s recent behavior and we will again be reminding him of the high standards we expect from our players. We have no plan to use Suarez for any additional marketing activities during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. We will discuss all aspects of our future partnership directly with Suarez and his team following the World Cup.”

Warning signs were there

In addition to his biting incidences (2010, 2013, and now 2014), Luis Suarez was also found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra during a Premier League match in 2011 and subsequently received an eight match ban and £40,000 fine.

Even though all the signs were there in abundance, six weeks ago 888Poker could not resist the opportunity to sign South America’s biggest goal scorer in the qualification stage of the World Cup. That decision was not only a poor one but has now quite literally returned to bite it in the behind.

Bettson also reeling from bite

Norwegian betting operator Bettson is also reeling from the Suarez bite as before the competition got underway it offered a massive 175-to-1 odds on Suarez taking a bite out of another player at some stage during the one month long soccer spectacle. According to ESPN, 167 gamblers subsequently took the wager with the biggest winner netting around $3,300 from a roughly $19 bet.

Not all gloom

In spite of the serious nature of the offense, Luis Suarez has now become the most famous biter since Hannibal Lecter and his chomping antics have sparked a comedic frenzy on social media from a number of big brand companies, including Trident, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Snickers, McDonald’s, Whataburger and Major League Baseball. Snickers, for example, tweeted that its chocolate bars were “More Satisfying Than Italian” and here are a selection of some of the other Suarez tweets doing the rounds:

CinnamonToastCrunch

“Biting is only okay when you’re made of cinnamon and sugar. #BanSuarez #WorldCup”

Listerine Global

“We recommend a good swish after grabbing a bite of Italian. #WorldCup #PowerToYourMouth”

Whataburger

“If only Suarez had Whataburger before the game he wouldn’t be so hungry.”

McDonald’s Uruguay

“Hola @luis16suarez, si te quedaste con hambre vení a darle un mordisco a una BigMac ;)”

Trident Gum

“Chew Trident. Not soccer players. #ITAvsURU”