Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini on Tuesday forgave Uruguay striker Luis Suarez for biting him in Italy's World Cup knockout defeat earlier this week and called the forward's FIFA ban for nine international matches and four-month soccer suspension "excessive". "I've always considered disciplinary action to be unequivocal," the Juventus defender said on Facebook. "But I feel the proposed formula is excessive," added the veteran defensive pillar of Juve's three-straight-scudetto-winning team.
TV replays showed Suarez sink his teeth into Chiellini's shoulder in an off-the-ball incident in Uruguay's 1-0 victory Tuesday.
The Juventus centre-back had teeth marks to show he was bitten. The incident took place shortly before Uruguay defender Diego Godin scored the goal that ensured the South America side would win the decisive Group D match and progress to the last 16, while Italy were sent packing.
Liverpool striker Suarez's third ban for biting means he will take no further part in the World Cup in Brazil.
He was also fined 100,000 Swiss Francs.
"Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field," said Claudio Sulser, chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. Suarez was also banned for 10 games last year after biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League match and in 2010 he was suspended for seven games for a similar offence against PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal while playing for Ajax Amsterdam.
Italy were furious at the referee for missing the biting incident and for his 59th-minute sending-off of midfielder Claudio Marchisio for a dangerous challenge.
Most Italian commentators say the foul was a yellow-card offence at the most, although replays did show Marchisio's studs land on the leg of Uruguay's Egidio Arevalo Rios.
The Azzurri's early exit from the World Cup prompted coach Cesare Prandelli and Italian Soccer Federation President Giancarlo Abete to quit. Suarez also lost sponsors over the now-infamous chomp. On Friday, the multinational online gambling site 888poker announced it was cutting ties with the 27-year-old. Adidas as well has said it was reconsidering its relationship with him.
Uruguay rallied round Suarez in denying he had bitten Chiellini and were even reportedly on the verge of pulling out of the World Cup because of the length of his ban.
Suarez was given a hero's welcome on his return to Uruguay and more than 100,000 of his countrymen have signed a petition saying he was victimised.
Uruguay President Jose Mujica said Suarez had been provoked.
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