TheCable

Not for the first time. Not for the second time.It is the third time, in fact, that Luis Suarez has been accused of biting an opponent.

Following on from a seven-game suspension for biting Otman Bakkal while he was playing for Ajax.

And the time he munched down on Branislav Ivanovic while playing for Liverpool in 2012, an action that earned him a 10-game ban.

It now looks like he’s made it a hat-trick by having a nibble on Giorgio Chiellini as Uruguay battled Italy for passage into the last 16 of the World Cup.

Suarez now looks set for a lengthy ban following this latest incident on the biggest stage of all.

Suarez could be banned by FIFA for up to 24 matches or two years, according to the governing body’s disciplinary rules.

The code allows for suspensions to be applied by time or number of international matches.

“Unless otherwise specified, it may not exceed twenty-four matches or twenty-four months,” Article 19 of the FIFA code states.

The Italy defender stood up and pulled his jersey off his shoulder to show the alleged bite mark to Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez. Meanwhile Suarez could be seen sitting on the ground holding his teeth. Television replays suggested Chiellini was telling the truth.

The future of Suarez now depends firstly on the report of Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez.

Reactions

He bit me, it’s clear, I still have the mark. The referee should have blown his whistle and given him a red card, also because he was simulating. – Giorgio Chiellini

We are awaiting the official match reports and will gather all the necessary elements in order to evaluate the matter. – A FIFA spokesperson

I don’t know, I don’t have anything to say about it. During the game we’re concentrating on other things. It’s a World Cup, we don’t do cheap morality. – Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez

There is no doubt that the quality of the talent that he has. He can win games single-handedly and he’s got that focus, that mentality that he can get back from a situation he shouldn’t have derived. But the behaviour, I just seriously think that he needs help. If you cannot control yourself in those moments, you need some sort of help because that’s just unacceptable on a football pitch. – Roberto Martinez, Everton coach

Tell me Suarez didn’t eat someone….was the hero a couple of days ago. – Rio Ferdinand

Surely that wasn’t a bite??? It can’t have been…could it?? – Michael Carrick

Can’t believe he’s done it again! What a player but wow, scandalous! – Shane Long

Suarez! Your teeth are already prominent, stop biting people! It’s like GaryLineker attacking people with his ears. – Gary Lineker retweets comedian Russell Brand