Luis Suarez: Giorgio Chiellini Says Suspension Excessive

Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini says the four-month ban given to Luis Suarez for biting him is excessive.

Suarez, 27, bit the Juventus player during Uruguay's 1-0 win over Italy and has been banned from all football-related activity until the end of October by world governing body Fifa.

Chiellini, said he has “no feelings of joy, revenge or anger against Suarez”.

Suarez has also been backed by World Cup winner Diego Maradona, who said the extent of the ban was shameful.

Suarez, who flew back to the Uruguayan capital Montevideo in the early hours of Friday morning, denied the biting allegations follwoing his clash with Chiellini, claiming the centre-half had bumped into him.

But Fifa decided he was guilty and handed him the longest ban in World Cup history.

Suarez was also given a nine-match international suspension and a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs (£65,680).

Writing on his personal website, Chiellini, 29, said: “I have always considered unequivocal the disciplinary interventions by the competent bodies, but at the same time I believe that the proposed formula is excessive.

“Now inside me there's no feelings of joy, revenge or anger against Suarez for an incident that happened on the pitch and that's done. There only remains the anger and the disappointment about the match.

“At the moment my only thought is for Luis and his family, because they will face a very difficult period.”

Suarez has also lost the sponsor of online gambling firm 888poker who said it had “decided to terminate its relationship” with “immediate effect”.

Spanish side Barcelona, however, remain keen on signing the striker.

Former Argentina captain and manager Maradona declared his support for the Liverpool striker on his television show De Zurda on Thursday night.

“The Fifa sanction is shameful, they have no sensitivity towards the fans, they might as well handcuff him and throw him in Guantanamo,” said Maradona, who was wearing a T-shirt bearing the message 'Luis, we are with you'.

“It hurts that they have cut short the career of a lad who is a winner. It's an excessive suspension, Fifa cannot talk about morals to anyone.

“Suarez didn't kill anyone. This is an unjust punishment, the act of an incredible mafia.”

Maradona interviewed Uruguay's president Jose Mujica during the programme broadcast on Telesur TV.

“We Uruguayans are full of anger, those coming from below do not understand anything,” said Mujica.

“We kicked out Italy and England, no doubt they lost a lot of money.”

Mujica claimed Fifa used “a different standard” to judge certain countries.

“That's what hurts and angers us the most,” he added.

BBC SPORT