Suarez banned for four months

The Uruguay striker has been handed a heavy sanction after being found guilty of biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in Tuesday's World Cup
Luis Suarez was on Thursday handed a four-month ban from all football-related activity after being found guilty of biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in Tuesday's World Cup clash in Natal.
Suarez was also given a nine-match ban from competitive internationals and a fine of 82,000 euros.

It means Suarez will miss the rest of the World Cup and the start of the new Premier League season with Liverpool, though his ban from all football-related activity does not preclude a possible transfer this summer.

Depending on how Uruguay fare at this summer's tournament, the nine-match international ban may well rule Suarez out from helping his country defend their Copa America title in Chile next year.

The Uruguay FA and Suarez himself can appeal the sanction but the ban will stand until that process has been completed.

A Fifa statement read: "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 Fifa World Cup fixture between Colombia and Uruguay on June 28, 2014.

"The remaining match suspensions shall be served in Uruguay's next Fifa World Cup match(es), as long as the team (remains in the competition), and/or in the representative team's subsequent official matches.

"The player Luis Suarez 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 the player Luis Suarez in accordance with article 21 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code as follows: the player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium during the period of the ban.

"The player Luis Suarez is prohibited from entering the confines of any stadium in which the representative team of Uruguay is playing while he has to serve the nine-match suspension.

"The player Luis Suarez is ordered to pay a fine in the amount of 100,000 Swiss Francs."

Claudio Sulser, the chairman of the Fifa disciplinary committee, said the panel had taken into account all the factors in the case.

Sulser 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 in accordance with the relevant provisions of the dode. The decision comes into force as soon it is communicated."