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FIFA rejects Suarez appeal

July 10, 2014

FIFA has dismissed appeals from Luis Suarez and the Uruguayan Football Association against a four-month total ban issued against the striker. Repeat offender Suarez bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup game.

https://p.dw.com/p/1CZwS
WM Italien-Urugay
Image: JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images

"The FIFA Appeal Committee has decided to reject the appeals lodged by both the Uruguayan player Luis Suarez and the Uruguayan FA, and to confirm the decision rendered by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 25 June 2014 in its entirety," world football's governing body said in a brief statement on Thursday. FIFA said Suarez and Uruguay's AUF soccer federation had been informed of the ruling.

Suarez and the AUF could still have recourse to appeal with the Court of Aribration of Sport (CAS).

Cameras caught Luis Suarez biting Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder during Uruguay's group stage victory over Italy, an incident the match officials had not seen. FIFA subsequently banned Suarez from nine international matches with Uruguay, and excluded him from all football activities for four months.

Giorgio Chiellini
Chiellini later said he harbored no ill feelingsImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo

This means Suarez will not only miss the start of the domestic season with his current club Liverpool, or any other side he should join in the off-season, he is also banned even from training with his side until the suspension expires. Suarez had previously faced disciplinary sanctions for biting in a Liverpool shirt, and during his time at former club Ajax Amsterdam.

Uruguay's coach Oscar Tabarez was particularly critical of the ban, which sidelined Suarez for the country's knockout stage defeat against Colombia. Tabarez stepped down from FIFA's strategic committee in protest, saying that Suarez was being scapegoated and that the severity of his penalty was the upshot of public and press pressure.

msh/crh (AFP, Reuters)