Uruguay forward Luis Suarez has been handed a nine matches suspension and a four months ban “from any football activity” after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.
World football’s governing body’s independent disciplinary committee imposed the punishment on the 27-year-old after deeming him guilty of a rule breach.
“The player Luis Suárez is to be suspended for nine (9) official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming FIFA World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on 28 June 2014. The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay’s next FIFA World Cup match(es), as long as the team qualifies, and/or in the representative team’s subsequent official matches in accordance with art. 38 par. 2a) of the FDC,” read a Fifa statement.
The Liverpool of England footballer has also received a four-month ban from all football related activities.
The incident happened during Tuesday’s 2014 World Cup Group D match against Italy, which Uruguay won by a lone goal to reach the last-16.
Suarez appeared to bite defender Chiellini while challenging for the ball inside his side’s penalty area, the referee was nowhere near the action so it went unpunished.
The Azzurris were still fuming about the incident when Uruguay won a corner and Godin rose highest to nod the resultant kick home.
“The player Luis Suárez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of CHF 100,000,” the statement added.
“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.”
Suarez, speaking to an Uruguayan TV, had defended his cations saying: “There are things that happen on the pitch and you should not make such a big deal out of them.”
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez had claimed the player is been witch-hunted by certain media.
Suarez has a long-existing track record of unhealthy behaviours on the football pitch.
Since 2011, he has been banned for a total of 35 matches, apart from the usual yellow and red cards. He received a seven games ban- then at Ajax- for biting Otman Bakkal, eight for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, one for flipping the middle finger at Fulham FC fans, ten for a previous act of cannibalism when he bit Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in the 2012/13 Premier League season and now nine for biting at the World Cup.
It is yet unclear if Suarez voted PFA Players’ and Football Writers Association’s Player of the 2013/14 Premier League year would remain at Liverpool as speculations already links him with a move away from Anfield.
