FIFA Confirms Suarez is Free to Join Barcelona
By Opeyemi Oladunjoye
FIFA’s disciplinary chief has confirmed that Luis Suarez can join Barcelona while serving his ban for biting Giorgi Chiellini.
Suarez, 27, has been banned for four months from all football, and nine Uruguay matches, for biting the Italian centre-back during their World Cup Group D meeting on June 24.
The Uruguayan FA has submitted an appeal on the player’s behalf, while Suarez has also apologised for his actions after initially telling FIFA he had lost his balance and the bite had been an accident.
Liverpool are in talks with Barcelona over the transfer of Suarez, and the head of FIFA’s disciplinary committee, Claudio Sulser has now said that the player would be allowed to have a medical ahead of a transfer under the terms of his ban, which relates to all football-related activities including entering stadiums.
Sulser said on Thursday: “The player cannot have any activity related to football, but a medical examination for a transfer, yes — the sanction is not linked to transfer rights.”
Liverpool are reported to have taken advice over the ban, but Sulser insisted it is the actions of the player and the player alone which led to the punishment and FIFA had to act.
Sulser added that the Suarez bite was “a very severe case” but that the sanctions — which also include a 66,000-pound fine — were not to set an example, but for “justice”.
Sulser said: “This is still an ongoing case and an appeal has been filed, so I prefer not to give my opinion. When the committee was analysing this case, one thing I mentioned in my capacity as the chairman is we don’t need to impose an exemplary sanction, we need to have justice and reached the sanction in a very severe case.”