Suarez Ban Appeal Verdict Expected Next Week

Luis Suarez will have to wait until next week to realise his fate on his appeal against his four-month ban for biting an opponent.

The new Barcelona striker, 27, “gave a statement” at the Court of Arbitration for Sport headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on Friday.

A Cas statement said: “The panel will issue its decision as soon as possible, probably before the end of next week.”

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The Uruguay international ignored the media and brushed aside photographers as he arrived by a taxi at Cas’s headquarter.

Luis Suarez Awaits Appeal Verdict.
Luis Suarez Awaits Appeal Verdict.

“The player was present and gave statement to the panel of Cas arbitrators: Mr. Bernhard Welten, Switzerland (President), Professor Luigi Fumagalli, Italy, and Dr. Marco Balmelli, Switzerland,” the statement added.

“The full arbitral award, with the grounds, will follow at a later date and be published by the Cas.”

The ex-Liverpool forward was served a four-month ban from all “football-related activities” for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a group stage match at the 2014 World Cup.

His lawyers were expected to argue that the punishment should be limited to international matches, from which Suarez will miss his country’s upcoming nine matches.

They also hope to persuade Cas to let the striker train with his new club during the period of his ban, in the wake of his £75m move from Liverpool last month.

Suarez’s legal team are confident he will have his ban halved, which could see him start playing for the Nou Camp outfit from August 25.

Albeit, his lawyer Alejandro Balbi, addressing Uruguayan media, believes the four-month suspension would be “easier to contend against” because it breaches the player’s “fundamental rights”.