Luis Suarez has been banned from playing for any team, including Liverpool, for four months for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini after FIFA announced a record punishment for the striker
Luis Suarez reacts during Uruguay's match vs England. Pic/Getty Images
Natal: Luis Suarez has been banned from playing for any team, including Liverpool, for four months for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini after FIFA announced a record punishment for the striker.
Luis Suarez reacts during Uruguay's match vs England. Pic/Getty Images
The sanctions, which include a nine-match international suspension, will have a devastating effect on Liverpool's plans as it will keep the striker out of football until the end of October — potentially 12 club matches.
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The Uruguay forward will play no further part in the World Cup in Brazil after his attack on Chiellini during his side's final group game, a 1-0 Uruguay win which saw them progress at Italy's expense.
This will hurt the South American side's chances at the World Cup which were hinging on the talismanic striker. While Uruguay have forwards like Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani in their ranks, Suarez was their main striker.
FIFA confirmed the news at its daily briefing in Rio de Janeiro. The player has also been fined 100,000 Swiss francs (just under 66,000 pounds).
Suarez and the Uruguay FA are able to appeal against the sanctions, but even if the appeal is lodged and the process is under way he will not be able play in any matches, starting with Uruguay's Last 16 fixture against Colombia in Rio tomorrow.
The ban on "any kind of football-related activity" means Suarez would not even be able to train with Liverpool or enter any stadium. FIFA has confirmed, however, that it will not prevent the player being transferred should Liverpool decide to sell Suarez. This is the third time Suarez has been sanctioned for biting opponents.
'Intolerable!'
The latest sanctions should total 21 matches (nine for Uruguay and 12 for Liverpool) so it means he will have faced a total ban of 38 matches for the three incidents — none of which saw a red card shown.
Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, said the panel had taken into account all the factors in the case. Sulser said: "Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field."
Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre said the club would review the full report before making any further comment.
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