Luis Suárez Trains Away From Liverpool Squad After Showing 'Disrespect'
'There Has Been Total Disrespect Of The Club'
The Huffington Post UK/PA
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has accused Luis Suárez of showing "total disrespect of the club" and vowed to take "strong, decisive action" following the Uruguay striker's claims that he was promised a move if the Reds failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Suárez's future has been cast into doubt over the last 36 hours with the former Ajax man threatening to hand in a transfer request and possibly take the club to a tribunal if he is not allowed to leave Anfield.
Speaking after Wednesday night's 4-1 friendly win over Vålerenga in Oslo, Rodgers was quoted in several national newspapers as saying: "There were no promises made - categorically none - and no promises broken. The club and his representatives had several conversations and he knew exactly where he was at.
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Suárez is desperate to leave Liverpool
"I will take strong, decisive action. There has been total disrespect of the club - this is a club that is historically one of the biggest in the world and has given him everything; absolutely everything.
"I don't believe there is a clause in his contract that says he can leave for any sort of price."
Suárez insisted in newspaper interviews on Tuesday that he had a clause in his contract whereby he could leave Merseyside if a Champions League club were willing to offer £40million - a sum Arsenal offered plus an extra £1.
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Rodgers is angered by Suárez's behaviour
But the club maintain the £40million mark was the point at which they had to inform the player of an approach and was the basis for the beginning of negotiations should they wish to sell.
Suárez will reportedly be made to train with the reserves following his outburst.
Asked whether there was any way back for the 26-year-old, Rodgers responded: "We first of all need to assess where (the situation) is. Things have been said that are derogatory against the football club, his team-mates and the supporters.
Luis Suárez Controversies
(01 of18)
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Suárez stops the ball with the hands during the extra-time of Uruguay's 2010 World Cup quarter-final match with Ghana... (credit:Getty Images)
(02 of18)
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He is shown a red card after his handball by referee Olegario Benquerenca, but Asamoah Gyan misses the spot-kick... (credit:PA)
(03 of18)
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And Uruguay go on to win on penalties as Suárez is demonised by the Ghanians (credit:Getty Images)
Dutch Eredivisie - Bite incident Luis Suarez(04 of18)
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Suárez was not sent off for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal's shoulder while Ajax captain in November 2011... (credit:Getty Images)
(05 of18)
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But he did receive a seven-match ban (credit:Getty Images)
(06 of18)
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An early glimpse of Suárez's nature came in March 2011 when, after a Rafael da Silva tackle on Lucas Leiva, he slyly tugged the Brazilian's hair in a bid to wind him up (credit:Getty Images)
(07 of18)
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Suárez feigns agony as Jack Rodwell is erroneously sent off by Martin Atkinson in the October 2011 Merseyside derby. Liverpool win the game 2-0 and Suárez scores. (credit:PA)
(08 of18)
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Later in October, a foul by Suárez on Patrice Evra sparks off his most infamous misdemeanour... (credit:Getty Images)
(09 of18)
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When he racially abuses Evra, calling him a "negro" eight times... (credit:Getty Images)
(10 of18)
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Suárez is fined £40,000 and banned for eight matches (credit:Getty Images)
(11 of18)
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Suárez is suspended for one game for making an offensive gesture to Fulham fans in December 2011.
(12 of18)
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On his first start since his ban for racially abusing Evra, Suárez refuses to shake his hand in February 2012 (credit:PA)
(13 of18)
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Suárez executes a pathetic dive in a 0-0 draw against Stoke in October 2012. He later admits to cheating (credit:AP)
(14 of18)
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Bemusing irony as Suárez opts for a diving celebration in front of Everton manager David Moyes, who accused the Uruguayan of simulation after the Stoke tumble (credit:PA)
(15 of18)
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Suárez is fortunate not to be red-carded after he rakes his studs down Sylvain Distin's heel in the same game. Everton fans enjoy poetic justice when he scores a late header which is wrongly disallowed for offside (credit:PA)
(16 of18)
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Suárez controls the ball with his hand at Mansfield Town to score Liverpool's winner in the third-round of the FA Cup, January 2013 (credit:AP)
(17 of18)
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Chewy Suárez: A shocked Branislav Ivanović reels from being bitten by the controversial striker (credit:Getty Images)
(18 of18)
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Giorgio Chiellini shows off the bite mark from where Suárez bit him. (credit:Getty Images)
"There's a few bridges to cross before that (playing for Liverpool) can happen again. It's about respect - that's the only thing we look for. This is one of the most iconic football clubs in the world. You can't disrespect it."
On the prospect of an apology, he added: "That's something I will ensure before anything happens in the future."