• Independent disciplinary body denies bias against Uruguayan
• Previous record not taken into account or held against him

Luis Suárez failed to grasp the “gravity and seriousness” of his bite on Branislav Ivanovic, according to the independent panel that imposed a 10-match ban on the Liverpool striker. The body has also denied accusations of bias against the Uruguayan.

Suárez’s chequered past in English football played no part in his punishment, confirmed the Football Association following his decision not to appeal the ban on Friday. Though the player did contest the FA’s initial assertion that a standard three-match ban for violent conduct was “clearly insufficient”, his status as a role model and the damage to the image of the English game globally did influence the tariff, agreed by an independent regulatory commission on Wednesday.

The Liverpool striker challenged the FA’s call for an increased ban with the backing of the club. Liverpool’s legal advice was questioned at the time of the Patrice Evra racism controversy and the three-man panel was left unimpressed by Suárez’s attempts to secure a three-match suspension.

“We took into consideration of Mr Suárez’s apology, his personal statement, supporting letter from Mr Brendan Rodgers and the letter from [club secretary] Ms Zoe Ward,” explained the commission. “But when these were read in conjunction with Mr Suárez’s denial of the standard punishment that would otherwise apply for violent conduct is clearly insufficient [sic], it seemed to us that Mr Suárez has not fully appreciated the gravity and seriousness of this truly exceptional incident.”

Liverpool received the reasons for a suspension that will keep Suárez out of club football until late September after Rodgers had accused the FA and prime minister David Cameron of prejudicing the hearing. The Liverpool manager claimed the commission had punished “the man rather than the incident” but the panel discounted Suárez’s previous misconduct, including an eight-match ban for using racially abusive language towards Evra. “We did not take into consideration any previous disciplinary records of Mr Suárez and considered the offence in isolation,”

But the panel did concur with the prime minister’s official spokesman, who prior to the hearing said Suárez’s role model status should be taken into account. It confirmed: “The FA added that Mr Suárez is an international and one of the best known and lauded players in the country. He plays for Liverpool, one of the most successful clubs in English football history. A player at this level of the game has a duty to uphold the highest standards of conduct and to set an example to minors. Mr Suárez’s conduct on this occasion fell far below the standards expected of him.”

Cameron responded to the Liverpool manager’s criticism on Friday when he told BBC Radio 5 Live that he spoke out “just as a dad watching the game” and that Suárez had set “the most appalling example to young people in our country”. The FA ruling finds that: “Mr Suárez’s conduct has damaged the image of English football across the globe.”

Suárez chose not to appeal having considered the written reasons with legal representatives and issued another apology for last Sunday’s bite. The Liverpool striker, who is considering his future in English football having been suspended for a total of 20 matches in two seasons, said: “I am truly very sorry about the incident with Branislav Ivanovic. I hope that all the people who I have offended at Anfield last Sunday will grant me forgiveness and I again repeat my personal apology to Branislav. I know that all the things that are happening to me in England will help me improve my conduct on the field. Right now I just want to focus on becoming a better footballer on and off the field.

“I would like to explain to everybody that I decided to accept the ban because, whilst 10 games is clearly greater than those bans given in past cases where players have actually been seriously hurt, I acknowledge that my actions were not acceptable on the football pitch, so I do not want to give the wrong impression to people by making an appeal. I really want to learn from what has happened in the last two and a half years; many things have been said and written about me, I just tried to do my best on the field. I hope to come back early to play.”

Rodgers and Liverpool’s managing director, Ian Ayre, issued statements saying they respected Suárez’s decision not to appeal but condemning a ban they feel is disproportionate with previous bites. The FA ruling, however, highlights a seven-match ban handed to Brighton’s Ashley Barnes for tripping a referee last month as a more recent benchmark.

A news article on 2013-04-26 18:16:00 from: The Guardian

Read the full article here.

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