LAUSANNE: The double suspension imposed by world federation FIFA on Luis Suarez must stand after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected an appeal by the  Uruguay and Barcelona striker.

International sport’s supreme court rejected a protest against a four-month worldwide playing  ban and nine-match international bar incurred after he bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup finals in Brazil.

Players’ union FIFPro also came out on the wrong side of the argument – from every standpoint – by issuing a statement of regret at the failure of the appeal. FIFA issued an initial statement merely recording the delivery of the court verdict without further comment.

The one ground on which CAS ruled that FIFA had gone beyond its powers was in barring the players from training with his club and/or playing in friendly matches.

Thus the former Liverpool forward is free to train with his new Barcelona team-mates ahead of his competitive comeback against Real Madid at the end of October. He can also make his Barcelona debut in their club trophy Gamper tournament early next week.

CAS said: “The CAS Panel has partially upheld the appeal. The sanctions imposed on the player by FIFA have been generally confirmed.

“However, the four-month suspension will apply to official matches only and no longer to other football-related activities (such as training, promotional activities and administrative matters).

“The CAS Panel found that the sanctions imposed on the player were generally proportionate to the offence committed.

“It has however considered that the stadium ban and the ban from ‘any football-related activity’ were excessive given that such measures are not appropriate to sanction the offence committed by the player and would still have an impact on his activity after the end of the suspension.”

“Luis Suarez is found guilty of violation of the FIFA Disciplinary Code for having committed an act of assault during the match between Italy and Uruguay played on June 24 2014 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil,” added the statement.

“Luis Suarez is banned for nine consecutive official matches of the national team of the Uruguay.

“Luis Suarez is declared ineligible to play in official matches at any level for a period of four consecutive months, starting on June 25 2014 and is sanctioned to pay a fine in the amount 100,000 Swiss francs (£66,255).”

It is the third time Suarez had been found guilty of biting an opponent in his career.

While he was at Ajax, Suarez bit PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal in November 2010, and while at Liverpool he bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in April 2013.

FIFA statement

FIFA has taken note of the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case involving the Uruguayan international Luis Suárez, who was sanctioned by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee – a decision which was confirmed by the FIFA Appeal Committee – following an incident that occurred during the FIFA World Cup™ match between Italy and Uruguay played on 24 June 2014.

CAS has partially admitted the appeal lodged by Suárez, FC Barcelona and the Uruguayan Football Association but reaffirmed the majority of the original sanctions imposed by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, deciding that: “The sanctions imposed on the player by FIFA have been generally confirmed. However, the 4-month suspension will apply to official matches only and no longer to other football-related activities (such as training, promotional activities and administrative matters).”

Suárez is suspended for nine (9) consecutive official matches of the national team of Uruguay. The first match of the nine-match suspension was served during the final competition of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, with the remaining match suspensions to be served in Uruguay’s subsequent official matches in accordance with art. 38 par. 2a) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

CAS declared Suárez ineligible to play in official matches at any level for a period of four (4) consecutive months, starting on 25 June 2014. Suárez is also ordered by CAS to pay a fine of CHF 100,000, as was originally imposed by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. The sanction in question will cover official matches only and does not include friendly matches.

Further details of the CAS decision are available on their website www.tas-cas.org.

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