Suarez ‘hard-wired’ to lash out at opponents after rough childhood

Luis Suarez's propensity for biting opponents stems from his underprivileged childhood, a leading sports psychologist has claimed.
The volatile Uruguay and Liverpool striker, who has been banned for lengthy periods for two previous biting incidents, is under intense criticism after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during their World Cup Group D game on Tuesday.
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Governing body Fifa is investigating the incident and, if found guilty of biting, Suarez could face a ban of up to 24 matches.
"The formative years of people's development do contribute to their personality," Tom Fawcett, a senior lecturer at the University of Salford, told the BBC yesterday, noting that Suarez was from an impoverished family of seven children.
"If you look at his history, Suarez had a fairly hard upbringing, which would have been fighting for survival," Fawcett said. "He was streetwise."
The psychologist said no one should be surprised at the incident, which was not seen by Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez. Television images showed Suarez bending his head towards Chiellini's shoulder and then immediately afterwards sitting on the ground fiddling with his teeth.
"If it's happened before, it'll happen again," Fawcett said. "Despite all the help, he's going to do it again."
He said Suarez requires more help than just spending time in therapy with people such as him because the problem is so deeply etched in his psyche.
"I would suggest he is hard-wired in this way," Fawcett said.
"It's not something that's going to come out of his character with a few sessions with a psychologist. Despite working with Liverpool in fairly impressive rehab, he's relapsed and he's open to that."
Fawcett did not offer up much hope that this problem would be resolved soon.
"It's in the man," he said. "I would think that in five years' time, if there was a certain nerve hit or chord rung with Suarez in a different situation, he would react in the same way."
Suarez, who had shown his better side when he scored twice in the 2-1 win over England last week, just a month after undergoing knee surgery, shrugged off the incident when he spoke to Uruguayan TV after the game.
"These are just things that happen out on the pitch," the striker told Channel 10. "It was just the two of us inside the area and he bumped into me with his shoulder, and that's how my eye got like this, as well," referring to what looked like swelling under the right one.
Fawcett added that Suarez's temperament could not cope with high-octane encounters where there was a lot at stake.
"He's a talented footballer but very vulnerable in intense situations, and Italy versus Uruguay was always going to be hot-tempered," Fawcett said.
Suarez and the Uruguayan Football Association had until last night to "provide their position and any documentary evidence they deem relevant" before Fifa decide what action they will take.
A quick decision is anticipated, with Uruguay taking on Colombia in the last 16 on Saturday.
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