Joe Cole compared Atletico Madrid’s Luis Suarez to a naughty toddler after the former Liverpool striker pinched Antonio Rudiger’s leg in Chelsea’s Champions League last-16 first-leg win against the La Liga leaders on Tuesday.
Thomas Tuchel’s side won 1-0 in Bucharest, Romania courtesy of Olivier Giroud’s spectacular overhead kick.
Suarez has a long history of poor discipline and was banned for 10 matches for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in April 2013.
Just over a year later, In July 2014, the Uruguayan was at it again. This time he was suspended for four months for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup in Brazil.
Against Chelsea, an already typically niggly Suarez became increasingly frustrated after Giroud’s 68th-minute winner and pinched the inside of Rudiger’s leg as they tussled near the touchline.
A furious Rudiger just about managed to restrain himself from reacting, and ex-Blues midfielder Cole said it was no surprise to see Suarez up to his old tricks.
“When you are telling off your kids and they go from biting to pinching then you know you are doing alright, “ said Cole, who was working as a pundit for BT Sport.
Fellow BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand added: “The referee is never going to see that.
“Suarez has has hands down by his knees and he’s looking at his [Rudiger’s] face. He’s streetwise.”
