Suarez loses appeal against biting ban

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Uruguay forward Luis Suarez, banned from all football activity for four months and nine competitive internationals for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup match, has lost his appeal, FIFA said on Thursday.

Suarez loses appeal against biting ban

(Reuters)





FIFA's appeals committee rejected the appeal filed by the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF), although it can still take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a FIFA spokeswoman said.

The controversial Liverpool striker sank his teeth into Chiellini's shoulder during Uruguay's 1-0 win over the Italians on June 24. The win sent Uruguay through to the last 16 where, without the banned Suarez, they lost 2-0 to Colombia.

Suarez initially denied biting Chiellini but apologised nearly a week later.

"The truth is that my colleague Giorgio Chiellini suffered the physical result of a bite in the collision he suffered with me," Suarez said in a statement on Twitter.

FIFA's disciplinary committee ruled that he acted intentionally and handed him the longest ban ever imposed on a player at the World Cup, prompting fury in his South American homeland, where he was given a hero's welcome on his return.

FIFA later explained that Suarez was given a heavy punishment partly because he had twice before been banned for biting and because he had shown no remorse.

The English Premier League club have since held talks in London over the possible transfer of Suarez to Barcelona, although no deal has been finalised.

Chiellini himself has described the ban as excessive.













(Additional reporting by Brian Homewood, editing by Ed Osmond)


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world