Giorgio Chiellini respects Luis Suarez despite biting incident

Italy's Giorgio Chiellini shows the bite mark; (right) Luis Suarez reacts immediately after biting Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup. Pics /AFP

Former Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini has recalled the infamous Luis Suarez biting incident during the FIFA World Cup in 2014. In the first half of Uruguay's final group stage clash against Italy, Suarez sunk his teeth into the shoulder of Chiellini, the third time he did so in his controversial career. Chiellini opened up regarding the incident in his autobiography and wrote he understands Suarez's malice and also stated if Suarez tries to curb his natural instincts, he might just end up becoming an 'ordinary forward'.

"Malice is part of football, I wouldn't call it illegitimate. To get past a rival, you have to be smart," the Juventus defender wrote in his autobiography as per Sky Sports. "I admire his cunning. If he lost it, he'd become an ordinary forward." "I marked (Edinson) Cavani for most of the match, another guy who is difficult to mark and who we didn't hold back against.

"Suddenly I noticed that I had been bitten in the shoulder. It just happened, but that's his strategy in hand-to-hand combat and, if I may say so, it's mine too. He and I are alike, and I like to take on attackers like him."

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