Sofia Balbi: Five quick facts

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Sofia Balbi: Five quick facts about Luis Suarez’ wife

If it wasn’t for her, we might have never witnessed Luis Suarez’ exceptional talents.

Sofia Balbi: Five quick facts

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Luis Suarez wife, Sofia Balbi is the extraordinary woman credited by those close to the Uruguayan striker – and the man himself – for inspiring him to hone his football talents.

Although it may be hard for some to imagine that anyone would commit to spending the rest of their lives with the controversial ball-handling, human flesh biting Barcelona star based on his on-field antics alone, he is indeed a family man.

The couple has been married since 2009, and have two children, seven-year-old Delfina and Benjamin Suarez, who is four-years-old.

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She met Luis when he was just a 15-year-old

Before becoming one of football’s most recognisable faces, and before a reported nett worth of $51 million, Suarez was a gifted young amateur footballer, who made a living as a street sweeper.

This was around the time he met a young Sofia Balbi, who he describes as instrumental in getting him to focus on honing his football talent.

“At 15, I found a girlfriend that sorted my head out. It helped me realize how (important) soccer was for me.”

Sofia helped Suarez get his life on track

The teenage Luis was a troubled young man, dealing with many things, including his father who turned his back from his family when he was just 12-years-old.

He told Liverpool Echo that he was headed down the wrong path, but it was through knowing Sofia that he was able to turn his life around.

“I was going out at night, I didn’t enjoy studying, and I wasn’t dedicating myself to football. There were some people around me who were a bad influence. She gave me a lot of confidence and helped me believe in myself.”

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Sofia was quite devastated to have to leave Uruguay

Unlike her husband, who had humble beginnings, Sofia came from a relatively well-off family, with her father working in the banking industry.

When she was 17, her family had to move to Spain, leaving Luis behind in their home country, and did not take too well to that adjustment.

She changed her husband’s bratty onfield behaviour

Luis Suarez has appeared twice in the World Cup and, on both occasions, he has grabbed the headlines for the worst reasons, if not the downright bizarre.

His first appearance in the competition was in the 2010 edition in South Africa, where he ended up the most hated man in the host continent as he single-handedly ended Ghana’s run with a deliberate handball when they met Uruguay in the quarterfinals.

In Brazil, 2014 he took it up a notch by getting his rather prominent teeth involved as he took a bite out of Italy defender, Giorgio Chiellini.

In between those two incidents, there was a confrontation with Patrice Evra where he uttered a racist slur.

Suarez had built a reputation as football’s main antagonist, but it’s been a noticeably quiet period in terms of controversy for him since the last World Cup – something he attributes to his better half, who helped him change his attitude on the pitch.

“My wife has made observations like, ‘You were arguing with the referee and the defenders too much; you didn’t really seem up for it; you might as well have not been on the pitch,” he told Liverpool Magazine.

However, the 2018 edition of the showpiece event has barely kicked off, and it remains to be seen whether the old Luis Suarez will not show up on the biggest stage.

She’s business partners with Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonella

With their husbands forming a fearsome partnership on the pitch, Sofia teamed up with Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonella Roccuzzo as they opened footwear brand, Sarkany’s first ever European outlet in Barcelona.

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