Fifa on Thursday banned Uruguay striker Luis Suarez for nine international matches and barred him from all football activities for four months for biting an Italian opponent.
The heaviest punishment ever inflicted on a player at a World Cup finals effectively booted Suarez out of the tournament in shame following his clash with Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini on Tuesday.
It is the third time that the 27-year-old Liverpool forward, one of the most brilliant footballers in the world, but also one of the most temperamental, has been banned for biting an opponent.
‘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,’ said Fifa disciplinary committee chairman Claudio Sulser in a statement.
‘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 (Fifa disciplinary) code,’ he added.
The nine match ban would be effective immediately, ruling him out of Uruguay’s World Cup second round match on Saturday against Colombia, Fifa spokeswoman Delia Fischer said.
As part of the ban on football activities, Suarez will not be allowed into a stadium for four months. He was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs (82,000 euros, $112,000).
The heaviest punishment ever inflicted on a player at a World Cup finals effectively booted Suarez out of the tournament in shame following his clash with Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini on Tuesday.
It is the third time that the 27-year-old Liverpool forward, one of the most brilliant footballers in the world, but also one of the most temperamental, has been banned for biting an opponent.
‘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,’ said Fifa disciplinary committee chairman Claudio Sulser in a statement.
‘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 (Fifa disciplinary) code,’ he added.
The nine match ban would be effective immediately, ruling him out of Uruguay’s World Cup second round match on Saturday against Colombia, Fifa spokeswoman Delia Fischer said.
As part of the ban on football activities, Suarez will not be allowed into a stadium for four months. He was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs (82,000 euros, $112,000).