RIO DE JANEIRO: The Uruguayan football federation is likely to react angrily to the double suspension by world federation FIFA of World Cup striker Luis Suarez.

Sources close to president Wilmar Valdez said it viewed the severity of the punishment as FIFA responding to pressure from England and Italy and the British media.

An editorial published by Tenfield, the television partner of the Uruguayan federation said: “The Celeste has been hit hard in Brazil, the team’s elimination of England provoked the English media into taking revenge with pressure on FIFA [over Suarez].

“It is incredible that the world football federation should ban such a goalscorer from all stadia for four months.”

Fax failure

The Uruguayans had a moment of panic in submitting their defence documentation to FIFA in Rio de Janeiro before yesterday’s 5pm (Brasilia) deadline.

An email containing its submission was sent but sending the essential confirmatory fax proved impossible when the tranmission machine in the team’s hotel malfunctioned.

Delegation officials had to rush to the nearest shopping mall and send the fax from a stationery shop.

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