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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 SPORTS Suarez succeeds in suppressing his impulses at Barca BARCELONA: Wearing the burgundy- - had created the widespread perception “more than a club” by signing the sional” help to control his emotions. Champions League final. and-blue of Barcelona, Luis Suarez has that he was incorrigible and that it was volatile striker. With Messi out with a left- Suarez seems right at home in He also appears to have developed a succeeded in suppressing his violent only a matter of time before he added knee ligament tear, Suarez and Neymar Barcelona. He was already well acquaint- technique for avoiding trouble: Just walk impulses while maintaining his magnifi- another incident to his growing record have kept the team in contention. ed with Mediterranean city, regularly vis- away. Against Eibar, Suarez fell to the cence in front of goal. of misdemeanors. Suarez also scored to complete a 2-1 iting his wife’s family in the area, and ground entangled with a defender. Once The Spanish club can only hope that But Suarez, who has received therapy, comeback over Bayer Leverkusen in the communication with his teammates, on their feet they jawed at each other, the rehabilitated Uruguayan is here to has since done what he can to restart his Champions League. He leads the team coaches and staff was easier in his native but at the point where it could have got- stay because he has become irreplace- career in Spain. He has helped Barcelona with 10 goals overall this campaign. Spanish. ten ugly, Suarez turned away. able for Barcelona coach Luis Enrique, win four trophies while avoiding any “He is unstoppable,” Barcelona coach Perhaps more importantly, he knew Ironically, given Messi’s tax fraud case especially in the absence of the injured outbreaks of rage or knee-jerk overreac- Luis Enrique said. “He is a fundamental his place on the team. No longer would and the lawsuit over Neymar’s contract, Lionel Messi. Suarez was the most tions after brushes with opposing player for us and does not have a substi- he be the No. 1 option in attack like at Suarez is the only one of the three stars maligned player on the planet when he defenders that can trigger his worst tute.” Liverpool, when he led the Premier not to taint Barcelona’s reputation. arrived in disgrace at Barcelona after responses. Barcelona’s decision to overlook a League in scoring with 31 goals. At He still has a long way to go to prove being slapped with a four-month ban Suarez celebrated his anniversary on reputation left in tatters by the World Barcelona, Suarez immediately took a he has exorcised all his demons, and he and expulsion from the World Cup for Sunday by scoring a hat trick to rally Cup biting ban was considered cynical supporting role behind Messi. will need to finish out the remaining biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini. Barcelona past Eibar for a 3-1 win that by many, but the 28-year-old Suarez said He certainly rose to the occasion in years of his career on his absolute best Despite his otherwise soft-spoken kept the defending champions level on what he needed to after leaving the biggest matches last season, scoring behavior to leave behind an evenly mild- and even friendly demeanor off the field, points with league leader Real Madrid. Liverpool and arriving at Camp Nou last in the 2-1 win over Madrid that helped ly positive legacy. Until then, there is Suarez’s third multi-match ban for sink- Those were Suarez’s 33rd, 34th and year. After apologizing, he publicly Barcelona reclaim the league title, and always the lingering worry that one stiff ing his teeth into an opponent - to go 35th goals in 57 appearances since pledged that he would not bite again, then adding Barcelona’s second goal in knock or naughty word from an adver- with another suspension for racial abuse Barcelona jeopardized its motto of being and said that he was receiving “profes- its 3-1 win over Juventus in the sary and it could all unravel. —AP Candidates wait for FIFA to validate presidential bids LAUSANNE: The eight candidates to succeed it’s really hurting. Some people have agenda on “That is what I would like to bring to FIFA,” Sepp Blatter as FIFA president were still waiting their table.” added Sexwale, now a politician and millionaire to have their bids validated by the electoral Sheikh Salman was head of the Bahrain FA in businessman who serves on FIFA’s anti-racism committee of world football’s governing body 2011 when scores of people were killed as secu- and anti-discrimination committee. yesterday after the deadline for hopefuls to rity forces in the country put down mass Shia- Infantino’s decision to stand, and the backing come forward passed. led protests calling for reforms. Rights groups he has received from UEFA, has cast doubt over FIFA’s electoral committee was set to meet say he helped identify players involved in the Michel Platini’s campaign to replace his former yesterday to study each bid and the integrity of protests and did nothing to protect them from ally Blatter, who announced in June that he the those running, but the official list of candi- abuses. would step down just days after being re-elect- dates for the February 26 election may not be Sexwale, who was once jailed alongside ed for a fifth term. made public until today, a source close to FIFA The UEFA president is currently serving a 90- told AFP. day ban as investigations continue into a 1.8 Meanwhile, one of the contenders, Shaikh million euro ($2 million) payment received from Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa of Bahrain moved FIFA in 2011 without a written contract. to deny claims he had been involved in the tor- Erstwhile favorite Platini officially remains a ture of footballers. contender pending an examination of his candi- And another hopeful, the 62-year-old South dacy when his ban ends on January 5. African anti-apartheid campaigner Tokyo But Swiss lawyer Infantino’s announcement Sexwale, launched his campaign as he promised casts doubt over Platini’s support within UEFA to bring “transparency and accountability” to and poses the question as to whether Infantino the scandal-tainted governing body of world is being presented as a Plan B in case the former football. France star is prevented from standing. Sexwale and the Bahraini royal Sheikh FIFA’s electoral committee must judge the Salman, the head of the Asian Football integrity of all candidates, meaning Platini’s bid Confederation, confirmed their bids on Monday could be compromised by his ban. Other con- as UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino also firmed candidates include the Jordanian Prince entered the running to blow the race wide BAHRAIN: In this Thursday, April 30, 2015 file Ali Bin Al Hussein, the 39-year-old brother of open. photo, Asian Football Confederation President Jordan’s King Abdullah who was the only adver- The 49-year-old Sheikh Salman can expect Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa leaves sary to Blatter at the previous election in May widespread support from the vast Asian the AFC Congress in Manama. —AP this year and can boast that he took the veteran Confederation, but he has already had to Swiss to a second round of voting before with- defend himself against criticism by human Nelson Mandela, serving 13 years of an 18-year drawing. rights campaigners who have accused him of sentence on Robben Island on terrorism Then there is 57-year-old French former involvement in the arrest and torture of foot- charges, vowed to “follow the money” to rid diplomat Jerome Champagne, who spent 11 ballers when he was head of the Bahrain football’s ruling body of corruption after recent years working for FIFA between 1999 and Football Association. “These are false, nasty lies scandals. 2010. Unlike his previous bid in May, he has that have been repeated again and again in the “What has been broken in FIFA is the ability managed to get the necessary five signa- past and the present,” he told the BBC in an to follow money,” he told a press conference. “It tures from national associations. David interview. is about good financial management, control Nakhid, the former Trinidad and Tobago cap- “I cannot deny something that I haven’t systems, making sure things are done and there tain, and Liberian FA chief Musa Bility have done. “Such accusations are not just damaging, is a lot of transparency and accountability. also entered the race.—AFP Roma out to take charge atop packed Serie A pack MILAN: Roma will seek to succeed where both we’re first after a quarter of the season. I don’t goals. Back-to-back defeats have dropped Fiorentina and Inter Milan have failed by need to tell my players they need to keep their Fiorentina from first to third but a trip to winless entrenching themselves at the top of Serie A feet on the ground. Verona will give La Viola a chance to rediscover when they go in search of a fifth consecutive “We believe in ourselves if we stick together the form that enabled Paulo Sousa’s men to win at home to Udinese yesterday. Goals from and show humility, but there’s a long way to go,” begin the season with six wins in seven match- Mohamed Salah and Gervinho in a 2-1 win over he added. However, Garcia will be without sus- es. Fiorentina at the weekend fired Rudi Garcia’s pended midfield general Daniele de Rossi as Inter Milan’s title challenge has also lost men to the top of Serie A for the first time this well as leading scorer Salah, who was sent off steam with Roberto Mancini’s men winless in season to underline their title credentials.