by Kadeem Simmonds

The international players’ union FIFPro has questioned why Liverpool should be affected by Luis Suarez’s four-month ban from all football for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay’s 1-0 win over Italy on Tuesday.

The union said Suarez’s “right to work” was also being infringed with the punishment barring him from playing in his country’s next nine competitive internationals as well as all football activity at club level over the next four months.

FIFPro said in a statement: “This is a very serious matter, as reflected by the sanctions imposed by Fifa’s disciplinary committee.

“The sanction will be reviewed and Fifa will have to focus especially on the accumulation of sanctions including a four-month ban from all football activity.

“The fact that Suarez is prohibited from working for a long period must be addressed as it directly infringes his right to work. Also the fact that Liverpool FC is affected needs to be an important issue.”

The length and severity of the ban has also led players past and present to question Fifa’s decsion. 

Diego Maradona declared his unconditional support for the controversial Uruguayan on his television show De Zurda on Thursday.

“The Fifa sanction is shameful, they have no sensitivity towards the fans, they might as well handcuff him and throw him in Guantanamo,” said Maradona, who during the programme wore a T-shirt bearing the message “Luis, we are with you.”

“The sanction on Luis is a way of punishing Uruguayan clubs for asking CONMEBOL (the south American confederation) for a fairer share of money. 

“It hurts that they have cut short the career of a lad who is a winner. It’s an excessive suspension, Fifa cannot talk about morals to anyone.”

The former Barcelona, Napoli and Boca Juniors forward added: “Suarez didn’t kill anyone. This is an unjust punishment, the act of an incredible mafia.”

And in an unlikely twist, Chiellini has jumped to the defence of the Liverpool striker, saying the ban was “excessive.”

The defender took to his personal website, saying: “Now inside me there’s no feelings of joy, revenge or anger against Suarez for an incident that happened on the pitch and that’s done. There only remains the anger and the disappointment about the match.

“At the moment my only thought is for Luis and his family because they will face a very difficult period.”