Fifa on Thursday suspended Uruguay striker Luis Suarez for nine matches and four months from "all football-related activities" for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during their last Group D match in the World Cup on Tuesday.
File Photo: This combo photo shows Italy's defender Giorgio Chiellini (L) showing an apparent bitemark and Uruguay's forward Luis Suarez (R) holding his teeth after the incident during their World Cup Group D match at the Dunas Arena in Natal. (AFP Photo)
Fifa has also issued a stadium ban against him. He cannot attend any football match and has also been fined 100,000 Swiss Francs (about $1,11,000).
A Fifa disciplinary panel had begun gathering evidence on Wednesday on Suarez, 27. The incident occurred 10 minutes before the end of Uruguay's 1-0 win over Italy.
Liverpool forward Suarez's countrymen have been rallying around their star player, who they are hoping will be available for Saturday's round of 16 clash against Colombia at Rio Janeiro's Maracana stadium.
"I did not see him bite anyone," Uruguay president Jose Mujica told reporters. "But they give each other so many kicks and blows and normally they put up with it."
Uruguay Football Association chief Wilmar Valdez had presented evidence on Suarez's behalf to the panel in Rio.
"We believe that there is not sufficient evidence to truly sanction Luis," Valdez had told Uruguay's Channel 10 television.
"It has to be clear and on the video that Fifa gave us we think that it is not really clear."
Chiellini himself told Italian television: "He bit me, it's clear, I still have the mark."
(With inputs from AFP, AP and Reuters)
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