Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has lost his appeal against the four-month ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during a match at the 2014 World Cup.
However, Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has allowed the Uruguay international to train with his Barcelona teammates. CAS announced their verdict on Thursday, after the 27-year old pleaded to reduce the four-month ban.
FIFA had imposed a four-month ban on Suarez from all activities related to football, plus a nine-match international ban and a £66,000 fine on Suarez, after he bit Chiellini during Uruguay's 1-0 win against Italy on 24 June.
FIFA later announced that the striker can play from 26 October at the earliest.
Suarez apologised via Twitter on 30 June, after being sent back home from Brazil.
"The truth is that my colleague Giorgio Chiellini suffered the physical result of a bite in the collision he suffered with me," the player stated. "I deeply regret what occurred. I apologize to Giorgio Chiellini and the entire football family."
Suarez, who has a history of biting opponents, took his case to the CAS, with the help of a lawyer and adviser Alejandro Balbi. They made an appeal, saying the punishment infringes the player's "fundamental rights" and was excessive; and therefore the four-month ban should be reduced.
A reminder of the games that Luis Suarez will miss for Barcelona. But he has now been allowed to train with them. pic.twitter.com/PRMB2YyFPl
— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) August 14, 2014
The former Liverpool striker was handed a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in 2013 and was also suspended for seven games for doing the same to Otman Bakkal of PSV Eindhoven, while he was with Ajax.
Suarez moved from Liverpool to Barcelona in a £75 million deal this summer. The Uruguayan scored 31 goals in 33 matches for the Reds last season, winning the Golden Boot and the PFA Player of the Year honours.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore on Wednesday accused Suarez of damaging the league's image and stressed that he was happy to see the back of the striker.
"He's great to have but an accident waiting to happen .. and this one in the summer, although it was with Uruguay, although it didn't directly involve the Premier League, clearly it reflected on Liverpool as one of our great clubs. And it reflected on us," the Guardian quoted Scudamore.
