Suarez could face suspension of at least two matches if found guilty
FIFA investigates alleged Luis Suarez bite
FIFA has officially charged Uruguay's Luis Suarez with biting Italy
defender Giorgio Chiellini in the teams' World Cup match, a process
that could lead to a suspension for Uruguay's best offensive player.
FIFA announced early Wednesday that its disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against Suarez, just hours after the end of Tuesday's match.
If the panel finds Suarez guilty of assaulting an opponent, FIFA rules call for a ban of at least two matches up to a maximum of 24 months.
FIFA asked the team to present evidence, which can include video recordings, by 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
A decision must be published before Saturday, when Uruguay plays Colombia in a round-of-16 match at Maracana stadium.
Uruguay
advanced by beating Italy 1-0 on Tuesday in Natal. One minute before
the decisive goal, Suarez clashed with Chiellini and was caught by
television cameras apparently biting his shoulder.
Match referee Marco Rodriguez of Mexico appeared not to see the incident and took no action.
Earlier in his career, the 27-year-old Suarez was suspended in the Netherlands and England for biting opponents. He didn't confirm or deny biting Chiellini, but said he was angry that the Italian defender had hit him in the eye during the game.
"These are things that happen on the pitch, we were both in the area, he thrust his shoulder into me," Suarez said in Spanish. "These things happen on the pitch, and we don't have to give them so much [importance]."
FIFA's
disciplinary panel "is responsible for sanctioning serious
infringements which have escaped the match officials' attention," the
governing body said in a statement.
"Any type of proof may be produced," FIFA noted, including "reports from referees, declarations from the parties and witnesses, material evidence, audio or video recordings."
FIFA set a World Cup precedent for using video review in 1994.
Then, in a quarter-final, Italy defender Mauro Tassotti's elbow to the face of Spain's Luis Enrique escaped the referee's attention. FIFA later banned Tassotti for eight international matches.
FIFA announced early Wednesday that its disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against Suarez, just hours after the end of Tuesday's match.
If the panel finds Suarez guilty of assaulting an opponent, FIFA rules call for a ban of at least two matches up to a maximum of 24 months.
FIFA asked the team to present evidence, which can include video recordings, by 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
A decision must be published before Saturday, when Uruguay plays Colombia in a round-of-16 match at Maracana stadium.
A close-up of Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder shows what could be bite marks from Luis Suarez. (Tony Gentille/Reuters)
Match referee Marco Rodriguez of Mexico appeared not to see the incident and took no action.
Precedent set in 1994
Brazil's World Cup has been a high-scoring tournament featuring late goals, comebacks, full stadiums and underdog stories, but the bite was got much of the global attention Tuesday.Earlier in his career, the 27-year-old Suarez was suspended in the Netherlands and England for biting opponents. He didn't confirm or deny biting Chiellini, but said he was angry that the Italian defender had hit him in the eye during the game.
"These are things that happen on the pitch, we were both in the area, he thrust his shoulder into me," Suarez said in Spanish. "These things happen on the pitch, and we don't have to give them so much [importance]."
Luis
Suarez of Uruguay, foreground, and Giorgio Chiellini of Italy lie on
the ground after the clash between the two during the match between
Italy and Uruguay at the World Cup. (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
"Any type of proof may be produced," FIFA noted, including "reports from referees, declarations from the parties and witnesses, material evidence, audio or video recordings."
FIFA set a World Cup precedent for using video review in 1994.
Then, in a quarter-final, Italy defender Mauro Tassotti's elbow to the face of Spain's Luis Enrique escaped the referee's attention. FIFA later banned Tassotti for eight international matches.
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