After all the furore about Luis Suarez and Branislav Ivanovic last year most of us thought that the Uruguayan striker would have learned his lesson and never bite anyone again. Now it looks like we may have been very very wrong.
Funnily enough however, the BBC spoke to a sports psychologist at the time who said that the punishment and media outcry to the Suarez bite on Ivanovic would have a minimal effect on whether he'd do it again in the future.
Speaking about biting, Dr Thomas Fawcett said 'It's not pre-planned - it's a very spontaneous, emotional response. He's doing it on impulse.'
In a piece which also draws on the expertise of Prof David Wilson, Fawcett said biting is usually a sign of frustration – perhaps the niggling between Suarez and Chiellini yesterday would be a good example.
In closing Fawcett says:
It's in the man.
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.
Turns out it took just one year.
hat-tip: Miguel Delaney
