August 15 – Luis Suarez is back in the stadium, can return to training, can carry out promotional commitments with his club and sponsors, but he can’t pull on his new Barcelona shirt and play in official competitive matches until he has served the initial ban handed out by FIFA for “committing an act of assault” in the match against Italy at the FIFA World Cup.
Suarez appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the ban for biting Italian Giorgio Chiellini. Backed by his new club Barcelona he requested that the sanctions be reduced and that the four-month suspension be lifted.
His appeal was fast tracked by CAS and the ruling means that he can return to football activity, including playing friendly games, before the start of the new season.
Suarez will still have to serve the remaining eight games of his record nine-match international ban and will not be able to make his competitive Barcelona debut until October – his first match is likely to be at Real Madrid on October 26 in El Clasico.
Suarez will have his formal presentation to Barcelona fans on Monday. Barca play Mexico’s Club Leon on Monday evening and Suarez would be eligible to play.
CAS said in a statement “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.”
Players’ union FIFpro immediately issued its own statement saying that it was disappointed that CAS had not further reduced the sanctions on Suarez.
FIFPro said it “remains of the view that the current sanctions are disproportionate in relation to his (Suarez) violation of the FIFA Disciplinary Code…FIFPro regrets that CAS has not decided to reduce the length of both bans in exchange for an obligation for Suarez to receive treatment.”
One has to ask the question that if Suarez needs treatment and everyone, including Suarez himself recognises this, is he really safe to be allowed to play again if his treatment is ongoing. Something else to chew over in this case.
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