President of Uruguay Jose 'Pepe' Mujica has slammed FIFA's decision to hand a four-month and nine-match international ban on striker Luis Suarez and branded the football governing body "a bunch of old sons of b******s".
He also labelled the ban imposed on the Liverpool star as "fascist" as the country prepares to welcome the national team after they went down 2-0 against Colombia in the Round of 16.
The video uploaded on YouTube by journalist Sergio Gorzy showed the Uruguay President making abusive remarks about the football governing body. Mujica faked shock about his own comments but later called the journalist to publish the video.
When the President was asked what World Cup means to him? The 73-year-old came up with these answers on a sports show that was broadcasted on Uruguayan television.
"We can take sanctions, but not fascist sanctions," Mujica said. "That FIFA are a bunch of old b******s. Can we broadcast that? Broadcast it, for me."
Wife of the President and Uruguayan senator, Lucia Topolanski agreed with Mujica's comment on the ban. "I agree with the words of the president," she said smiling.
These comments have ramped unnecessary tension between the football governing body and the South American nation, which is in fray to host the 2030 World Cup along with Argentina.
Suarez faced sanctions for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay's last group match. The Uruguay President had earlier condemned the way FIFA imposed ban on talisman in his weekly radio address.
"We think this will be remembered, this will remain among the worst moments in the history of football. This will be an eternal shame in the story of World Cups," Mujica said. "In a certain way, it can be understood. We cannot understand the form, the procedure applied.
Suarez, however, has denied biting Chiellini on shoulder in a statement to the FIFA disciplinary panel and called it just an accident.
"In no way it happened how you have described, as a bite or intent to bite," Suarez explained. "After the impact ... I lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent. At that moment I hit my face against the player leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth."
See the comments made by the Uruguayan President Jose 'Pepe' Mujica HERE.
