‎FIFA bans Luis Suarez for four months

The punishment takes immediate effect.

Uruguay forward, Luis Suarez, has been banned for nine international matches, and from all football activity for four months, after being found guilty of biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini.

Suarez, 27, bit the defender during the latter stages of the 1-0 victory that secured their place in the knockout stages of the ongoing Brazil 2014.

FIFA launched an immediate investigation and an independent disciplinary panel confirmed the punishment on Thursday.

The punishment takes immediate effect.

It means that, in addition to his World Cup immediately being over, Suarez will miss nine club matches including the Premier League, Champions League, and Capital One Cup matches.

A FIFA statement said: “The player Luis Suarez is to be suspended for nine official matches. The first match of this suspension is to be served in the upcoming [round of 16] FIFA World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay.

“The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay’s next FIFA World Cup matches, as long as the team qualifies, and/or in the representative team’s subsequent official matches.

“The player is banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity — administrative, sports or any other — for a period of four months. A stadium ban is pronounced against Luis Suarez, who is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban.”

Suarez was also ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs.

Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, said: “Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup, when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field.

“The Disciplinary Committee took into account all the factors of the case and the degree of Mr Suarez’s guilt. The decision comes into force as soon it is communicated.”