World Cup: Luis Suarez Banned From All Football For Four Months And For Uruguay For Nine Matches
Luis Suarez has been banned from all football for four months and from international football for nine matches.
Uruguay Football Association president Wilmar Valdez soon confirmed the association would lodge an appeal against Suarez's sanction.
If the appeal is unsuccessful, the striker is set to play no further part in the World Cup following his bite on Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during his side's 1-0 win, which saw them reach the last-16 at Italy's expense.
But he will also be unable to play club football until October 26, ruling him out of nine Premier League and three Champions League games with Liverpool next season.
Valdez said: “We are preparing our appeal now, we have three days to do it.
“It is an excessive decision and there was not enough evidence and I have seen more aggressive incidents recently.
“It is a severe punishment. I don't know exactly which arguments they used but it is a tough punishment for Suarez.
“It's feels like Uruguay has been thrown out of the World Cup. We all know what Suarez means to Uruguay and to football around the world – not having Suarez would be a loss to any team.”
FIFA had earlier said the ban would not prevent any potential transfer if Liverpool decided to sell the 27-year-old.
Liverpool chief operating officer Ian Ayre said the club would take their time before commenting on the ban, telling the official website: “Liverpool Football Club will wait until we have seen and had time to review the FIFA Disciplinary Committee report before making any further comment.”
The Premier League Player of the Year has also been fined just under £66,000.
A statement from FIFA read: “The player Luis Suarez is to be suspended for nine official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming FIFA World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on June 28, 2014.
“The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay's next FIFA World Cup match(es), as long as the team (remains in the competition), and/or in the representative team's subsequent official matches.
“The player Luis Suarez is banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four months.”
The punishment also prevents Suarez from attending matches during the period of the ban.
“A stadium ban is pronounced against the player Luis Suarez in accordance with article 21 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code as follows: the player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban,” the statement continued.
“The player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium in which the representative team of Uruguay is playing while he has to serve the nine-match suspension.
“The player Luis Suarez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of 100,000 Swiss Francs.”
Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, said the panel had taken into account all the factors in the case.
“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,” Sulser said.
“The disciplinary committee took into account all the factors of the case and the degree of Mr Suarez's guilt in accordance with the relevant provisions of the code. The decision comes into force as soon it is communicated.”
FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce backed the ban, saying: “I think the punishment that has been handed out to Luis Suarez is fully justified. Hopefully he will have learnt that this type of behaviour cannot be tolerated under any circumstances.”
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