Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 10y

Lugano accuses Chiellini of 'crying'

Uruguay captain Diego Lugano has questioned Giorgio Chiellini's reaction to apparently being bitten on the shoulder by Luis Suarez, saying it was not in keeping with the traditions of Italian football.

Suarez appeared to bite Chiellini towards the end of Uruguay's 1-0 World Cup group D win on Tuesday, leaving teeth-marks on the Italy defender's shoulder. FIFA has announced an investigation into the incident and the Liverpool attacker is likely to face a lengthy ban if found guilty.

The "bite" has caused widespread outrage, particularly given Suarez has twice been involved in similar incidents before, and has even reportedly led to Barcelona to reflect on whether to continue their attempt to prise him away from Anfield this summer.

However, Suarez himself appears not to have viewed the controversy as such a big deal -- saying "these things happen in the game" and claiming Chiellini had also injured his eye during what was a typical on-pitch battle.

Suarez's long-time international colleague Lugano went even further, claiming in comments published in Ovacion that the Juventus defender was the one at fault, as he had drawn attention to something that should have been left between the pair on the pitch.

"The worst of all was the attitude of Chiellini," former West Brom centre-back Lugano said. "He is a great player, has had a great career, and it is not normal in Italian football for a player to leave the pitch crying and accusing an opponent. He completely disappointed me as a man. I admired him."

A scrappy and tactical game was decided late on, after Italy's Claudio Marchisio had been red carded for a studs-up challenge on Arevalo Rios, when Diego Godin leapt to divert the ball home from a corner kick.

It was the Atletico Madrid centre-back's third vital goal in recent weeks -- following the header at Barcelona which won his club the Liga title, and another header which almost claimed the Champions League trophy for Los Colchoneros.

Speaking in AS, the 28-year-old dedicated the goal when to his teammates who he said had "thrown everything" at the game knowing they needed to win to progress to the round of 16, where Uruguay will face Colombia in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.

"The goal is dedicated to all my teammates, because it is a goal for all the players, and all the people of Uruguay who support us," Godin said. "The work put in was extraordinary, and the confidence was impressive. We threw everything at it in the second half."

Despite his impressive performances, and new higher profile, Godin is one of the few key Atletico Madrid players not to have been heavily linked with a move away from the club this summer.

His club coach Diego Simeone said in Marca that it was unthinkable for the tough defender to be sold.

"[Godin] is one of the most important players at the club," Simeone said. "I would never let him leave. He has improved so much in all possible ways -- as a player, as a leader and as a person. I wish him the best. I value him a lot and I expect him to play with us in the future."

^ Back to Top ^