The Appeal Committee of world football’s governing body, FIFA, has rejected the appeals with were filed by Uruguayan striker, Luis Suarez and the Uruguayan Football Association.
The Commitee has, as such, decided to uphold the sanctions imposed on the player, after he was found guilty for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in the match between Italy and Uruguay at the World Cup in Brazil.
Suarez was banned for 9 international matches and for four months from all footballing related activities for four months after the incident.
The news comes as a big blow to Suarez and the Uruguay FA, who had hoped that the striker’s ban might be overturned by the Appeal Committee.
Suarez and the Uruguay FA are now expected to take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Read the full statement from FIFA below:
The FIFA Appeal Committee has decided to reject the appeals lodged by both the Uruguayan player Luis Suárez and the Uruguayan FA, and to confirm the decision rendered by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 25 June 2014 in its entirety.
The terms of the decision taken by the FIFA Appeal Committee were communicated to the player and the Uruguayan FA today.
The relevant decision is not yet final and binding, i.e. an appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) is still possible (cf. art. 67 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes) by the player and/or the Uruguayan FA, subject to certain conditions.
By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana