Luis Suarez: Barcelona striker says he won’t bite in future

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez says he has talked to specialists about his behaviour and insists there will be no further biting incidents.

Suarez is serving a four-month ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup – his third biting offence.

“I say to fans, don’t worry, because I won’t do that anymore,” he promised.

“I spoke to my psychologist and he said I had to face it and say sorry. I did – now I would rather focus on the present, which is Barcelona.”

une 2014: Banned for four months from any football-related activity, plus nine international matches, for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini

April 2013: Apologises for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic and receives a 10-game ban

Dec 2011: Given eight-match suspension and fined £40,000 for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra

Nov 2010: Given seven-match ban for biting PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal on the shoulder while playing for Ajax

The 27-year-old Uruguay striker, who said he was “really depressed” after the incident in Brazil, launched an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the ban.

Following the verdict, the former Liverpool striker is still banned from playing in competitive fixtures until late October and must also serve the remaining eight games of his nine-match international ban.

But Suarez is no longer excluded from “all football-related activities”, which allowed him to make his Barcelona debut as a 75th-minute substitute in the 6-0 friendly victory over Mexican side Club Leon on Monday.

Addressing a media conference on Tuesday, he said of his behavioural issues: “I am speaking to professionals – the right professionals. But it is a private matter and I don’t want to comment further on that.”

Suarez spent three years with Liverpool, during which he was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and suspended for a further 10 matches for biting Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea.

Source: BBC