Rio de Janeiro: Fifa defended the harsh punishment it handed down to Uruguay striker Luis Suarez for biting an opponent during the World Cup, despite complaints on Friday from his coach, politicians and even the man he bit that the record penalty was excessive.
The 27-year-old striker was expelled from this year’s tournament in Brazil and banned from international football for nine competitive games, the longest ever suspension handed out at a World Cup.
Further infuriating those who believe he has been unfairly treated by the governing body, Suarez cannot do anything connected with the sport for four months, meaning he misses the start of English club Liverpool’s 2014/15 campaign.
Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke said Suarez’s previous misdemeanours on the pitch had been taken into account. The player was banned twice before for biting during club games.
“If it’s the first time, it’s an incident. More than once, it is not any more an incident,” Valcke told reporters.
“That is why also the sanction, it has to be exemplary.
Fifa ruled that Suarez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder during Uruguay’s final group match on Tuesday, as his side knocked the Europeans out of the tournament with a 1-0 victory. The incident overshadowed what has been a scintillating competition so far, with teams playing attacking football and goals flying in at almost three a match.
While many in Europe believe Suarez should be severely punished for his third biting offence, Uruguayans are incensed at what they see as bias against their team within Fifa, and across Latin America the player enjoys widespread sympathy.
When Suarez flew home on Friday, he was met by outraged President Jose Mujica at a military base next to Uruguay’s main airport. The player, his wife and other family members were then driven to a home he has in the small coastal town of Solymar.
“He is totally distraught. He never thought the punishment would be so severe,” said Alejandro Balbi, a member of the Uruguayan Football Association’s board and Suarez’s lawyer.
Even Chiellini, whose strong protests to the referee after the incident were waved away, said the ban was too long.
