Luis Suárez (Uruguayan footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Luis Suárez


fullname = Luis Alberto Suárez Diaz
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1987|1|24
cityofbirth = Salto
countryofbirth = Uruguay
height = height|meter=1.82
position = Striker
currentclub = Ajax
clubnumber = 16
contractend= 2012
youthyears = 2003–2005
youthclubs = Nacional
years = 2005–2006
2006–2007
2007–
clubs = Nacional
FC Groningen
Ajax
caps(goals) = 29 (12)
29 (10)
37 (18)
nationalyears = 2007–
nationalteam = Uruguay
nationalcaps(goals) = 014 0(6)
pcupdate = 19:13, 29 September 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 22:03, 12 September 2008 (UTC)

Luis Alberto Suárez Diaz (born January 24 1987 in Salto) is a Uruguayan footballer who currently plays for Ajax and the Uruguay national football team.

Early career

In his homecountry, Uruguay, Suárez played for Club Nacional de Football. At that time, he was considered as one of the biggest talents of the country. During the time with the Uruguayan club, he became national champion of Uruguay in 2006. After a success season, the Netherlands football club FC Groningen purchased him for approximately 800,000 Euros.

For the first season playing in the Europe, Suárez displayed a good performance at FC Groningen. His impressive play attracted the other European clubs. Eventually he was sold a year later on August 9 2007, when Ajax paid 7.5 million euros for Suárez.

Ajax

Yet, the transfer of Suárez was not even. The deal was unlikely to go through as the player lost a case before the Dutch Football Association's arbitration committee that would prevent him from going to Ajax. However that same day Ajax let Groningen know they would be willing to pay more for him at this stage. Without Suárez in the line-up Ajax won the Johan Cruijff-schaal prior to the start of the 2007-08 Eredivisie season.Luis Suárez had his official debut for the team in the UEFA Champions League qualifier against SK Slavia Praha in which he won a penalty kick for Ajax, but it was missed by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. In his Eredivisie debut for the club he scored one goal, made three assists and won another penalty, helping Ajax overclass newly promoted De Graafschap 8-1. In his home debut at the Amsterdam ArenA, he scored a further two goals against SC Heerenveen to maintain his excellent start to his Ajax career. He then scored a hatrick for the club in the league match against Willem II, to take his tally for Ajax to 14 goals in 27 appearances. He ended his first season with Ajax with 17 goals in 33 appearances.

Already he has started off the 2008-09 season with a wonderful goal against Arsenal in the Amsterdam Tournament.

National career

Suárez made his debut for the Uruguayan national football team on February 8, 2007 in a 3-1 win against Colombia. He was sent off in the 85th minute after receiving a second yellow card for dissent. After that, he has continued participating with the Uruguayan national football team, becoming a starter in the first four games of the FIFA 2010 World Cup Qualifiers. He has scored 2 goals in 4 games, against Bolivia and Chile.