Suarez accepts biting ban and asks for forgiveness

LIVERPOOL striker Luis Suarez has asked for forgiveness after accepting a ten-match ban for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in last weekend’s Premier League match.

The Uruguayan internationalist had until lunchtime yesterday to contest an FA Regulatory Commission’s decision to add seven games to the usual three for a violent conduct charge but opted against it.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister David Cameron said the biting incident “sets the most appalling example to young people in our country.”

On his Twitter account last night, a contrite Suarez said: “I hope the people I offended last Sunday will grant me forgiveness and I again repeat my personal apology to Branislav.

“While ten games is clearly greater than those bans given in past cases where players have actually been seriously injured, I acknowledge 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.”

Suarez, who bit Serbian international Ivanovic on the arm during the 2-2 draw at Anfield before later scoring an injury-time equaliser, will not be eligible to play for Liverpool in domestic competition until September.

It is the second time the 26-year-old has been punished for biting an opponent after he bit PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal on the neck while at Ajax Amsterdam in 2010, earning a seven-match ban. He was also banned for eight games last season after being found guilty by the FA of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra in October 2011.

The Commission issued the written reasons for his latest long ban. It concluded that “biting an opponent in itself was extremely shocking, unexpected and truly exceptional. Whilst there are numerous violent conduct cases arising out of physical bodily contact between players, the incidents of biting an opponent are very rare”.