Looking back at some of the greats that have graced the game of football, it's easy to name players that had a god given talent, but also showed an area of mental frailty, a part of their makeup that also let them down.
For many of you England fans of a certain age 'Gazza' or Paul Gascoigne to give him his full name will have instantly come to mind at this point. It can be strongly argued that he was the most naturally talented modern day player to pull on an England shirt, yet controversy has followed him throughout his life, his obsessive compulsive tendencies being something that probably contributed to his genius but almost certainly detracted away from it, as alcohol addiction and everything that comes with that blighted his life and those closest to him both during his playing days and into retirement.
George Best the Northern Irish and Manchester United legend was another talent that has been sadly lost to alcohol addiction and Maradona, is possibly the most flawed genius of all for a variety of reasons.
However, as the professional era has taken hold and people's understanding of substance addiction develops it's moments of rage, flashes of aggression, that is becoming the more common flaw amongst our modern day superstars with Paulo Di Canio, Roy Keene and Mario Balotelli classic examples of multiple offenders.
Others include Eric Cantona the mercurial maverick who famously whilst playing for Manchester United 'Kung Fu kicked' a Crystal Palace 'fan' (in the loosest sense) whilst leaving the field of play having been sent off only moments earlier and fellow Frenchman Zinedine Zidane who shocked the world with his head butt into the chest of Marco Materazzi on the biggest stage of all, the 2006 World Cup Final, his final game before retiring (announced before the game). Who can forget the image of Zinedine trudging of the pitch, past the trophy, in the knowledge this was his last act.
And so this brings me to the events of the past week, where Uruguay's Dr Luis showed us his genius against England, scoring two expertly taken goals to give his side the win. But almost as soon as Dr Luis had finished, Mr Suarez was on the scene attempting to bite the arm off Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini (allegedly for any Uruguayans that may be reading)!
Like Eric, Zinedine and the other examples, this wasn't an isolated incident, this being Luis third example of biting an opponent among other flash points in a chequered past but with clubs so willing to forgive and forget the misdemeanours of the most talented do we also need to look outside of the individual and closer at the game itself to understand why these moments of mental breakdown can occur?
This is by no means trying to cloud over Luis' actions and the fact he needs professional help and support is unquestionable, but in the same token it is perhaps disappointing that the sanctions imposed by FIFA, that to most would seem balanced and fair all circumstances considered, did not insist on some degree of psychiatric assessment as a mandatory requirement before he is allowed to return to the game.
More still, I am very concerned that the people closest to Luis appear to be making excuses rather than confronting the problem at hand and looking to help him for the greater good of everyone concerned.
So perhaps, following this latest incident and the further examples given serious questions need to be asked as to whether the pressures of the game, the heightened need to win is having an adverse effect on players and if all key stakeholders are doing enough to ensure the mental well being of players is maintained both during their playing career and into retirement.
True most top flight clubs these days will employ sports psychologists, however this would be with a view to preparing an athlete to win. Is as much work done on accepting defeat or would that be deemed as preparing for failure? Would clubs want their psychologists taking the edge out of a player like Luis or would they fear taking something away that might have made him so great in the first place (a common defence in accepting bad behaviour)?
I have no doubt a lot of work is done before a game, but has thought been given to providing a mental 'cool down' to players to help them recover mentally after a game in the same way that a physical cool down is now used? Anyone who has played the game at amateur level will know the effects of a win or defeat can affect your mood for the rest of that weekend if not longer.
Now some of you are probably thinking at this point "oh dear, poor Mr Footballer with his bags of money' he doesn't have problems compared to my own" yet this is a hugely unfair misconception because players are human and will encounter exactly the same level of emotions and feelings as you or I will in our day to day lives.
And although having access to such wealth means you would have the means to buy the best help when needed, this shouldn't detract from the fact that a lot of players in the game at lower levels don't receive anywhere near the levels of salary that the top professionals will receive and that people who need help will generally need initial signposts and support in order to prompt them towards that direction.
So putting the wrongs of Luis recent actions aside, perhaps this episode also shows that football could and should do a lot more in this area, to help the stars of the game both internationally and locally in this taboo and still largely misunderstood area. This might in turn help highlight the issues amongst fans and provide a greater education to the wider public and if that meant it prompted some others outside of football to seek help for their issues all the better. It's certainly something worth thinking about.
Thanks for reading
The Armchair Supporter
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