World Cup: FIFA won't speculate about possible punishments for Uruguay's Liverpool striker Luis SuarezLast Updated: 25/06/14 3:38pm
FIFA says it will not speculate about possible punishments for Uruguay striker Luis Suarez who is being investigated for apparently biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.The Liverpool forward and Uruguay's Football Association have until 9pm tonight to respond to the world ruling body after it opened disciplinary proceedings.
Suarez said after the 1-0 victory, which took the South Americans into the World Cup's last 16, that the incident was not important but he faces a maximum 24-game or two-year ban if found guilty.
"Proceedings are ongoing and we are still at the early stages," said FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer.
"We cannot speak about what could potentially happen. This is in the hands of the Disciplinary Committee. We will get an update to you later today or tomorrow or whenever they take their decision."
The longest ban in World Cup history was eight games for Italy's Mauro Tassotti for breaking Spain's Luis Enrique's nose with his elbow in 1994.
Suarez has twice been banned for biting opponents - for 10 matches in 2013 for his clash with Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic and in 2010 he was given a seven-game ban while playing for Ajax for sinking his teeth into PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal.
FIFA's disciplinary code allows action to be taken retrospectively via video evidence even if the incident has been seen by the referee.
Chiellini tried to show referee Marco Rodriguez the mark but no action was taken, and he believes the authorities must now look back at what happened and punish Suarez.
The defender told Sky Italia: “Suarez has bitten me and the referee saw it, but then there is the need to have the courage to take decisions.
“We will see if there is the courage to utilise the TV images to ban him.”
Uruguay manager Oscar Tabarez insisted he had not seen the incident but claimed that Suarez "is the target of certain sections of the press".
"I would like to see it first," he said. "If it happened then I think the referee had to have seen it first. I didn't see the incident and I don't want anyone to speak for me about it.
"Suarez, in addition to errors that he may have made, is a target for certain sections of the media."
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