Luis Suarez has been banned for 10 games for his biting Branislav Ivanovic during the recent match between Liverpool and Chelsea. Given that the act was an assault on the person of Mr. Ivanovic and Suarez caused actual bodily harm, if this was a case put in front of the courts, the Liverpool goalscorer would potentially face a custodial sentence. Most everybody interested in football will applaud the decision made by the English FA, as Suarez is also a serial cheat when considering his diving antics in attempting to fool referees into awarding penalties.
However, what if this incident had occurred at a "normal" place of work? The person would have been suspended pending an investigation into gross misconduct for assaulting a third party. They would also have been charged with bringing their employer's good name into disrepute and the police would also probably have been involved, given the nature of the offence. But football is not held in the same esteem as "normal" workplaces and Suarez, like others before him, seem to be able to commit crimes on the field of play with judicial impunity. The paltry fine imposed by Liverpool FC (2 to 4 weeks wages is nothing to someone like Suarez who is paid riches normal people can only dream about via a lottery win) does not go far enough and, in my eyes, his employer should be making an example of him, taking him through a more rigorous disciplinary process.
The case against Suarez is irrefutable and, given the number of witnesses, he would surely be found guilty if taken before the courts. If I was a Chelsea fan, I would be sorely tempted to report the assault to the police so that the Uruguayan might fully understand that, to bite someone whilst at work is not just socially unacceptable, but is also criminally irresponsible.
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