Liverpool will review the full reasons behind the Football Association’s 10-match ban for Luis Suarez before deciding whether to appeal against the punishment imposed for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.
The club were left “shocked and disappointed” after the striker was hit with the sanction that could see him suspended from domestic football until October.
The severity of the ban surprised Liverpool and the club will also have to make a decision over whether to sell the Uruguayan striker.
Suarez missed eight matches last season due to his racist abuse ban, and following the punishment imposed by an FA independent regulatory commission now faces the prospect of missing the last four games of this campaign and the first six of next season.
Liverpool’s managing director Ian Ayre, who earlier this week insisted the club were determined to keep Suarez, said in response to the decision: “Both the club and player are shocked and disappointed at the severity of the independent regulatory commission decision.
“We await the written reasons before making any further comment.”
Suarez had admitted violent conduct after biting Ivanovic during the 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Sunday but challenged the FA’s contention that he deserved more than a three-match ban.
The commission, however, agreed with the FA, which said in statement: “A three-person independent regulatory commission today upheld the FA’s claim that a suspension of three matches was clearly insufficient and the player will serve a further seven first-team matches in addition to the standard three. The suspension begins with immediate effect.”
Suarez has until midday Friday to appeal the additional suspension, above the standard three matches.
Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson believes the latest ban leaves the club in a difficult position.
Lawrenson told BBC Radio Five: “The thing about Suarez is he is now becoming a constant offender, and Liverpool are going to have to make a decision re Suarez and the future
“I think it’s a possibility he will have to leave.
“They are trying to sell season tickets at the moment and people will be saying ‘hold on a minute, is Suarez going be here, is he going to miss 20 per cent of the season,’ it’s a really tough one for Liverpool.”
Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor also believes the time has come for retrospective punishment to be allowable for all incidents.
Taylor said: “We’ve got enough experienced people in football to set up a panel and we have the technology to make quick decisions in the immediate aftermath of the game.
“In this day and age with technology as it is I am very much in favour of retrospective action both ways. If there has been an error and a player has been punished when they shouldn’t have been punished or sent off and vice versa.”
