Poker brand 888 cancels Suarez sponsorship deal after ban

PHOTOS | AFP A combination of two photos taken on June 24, 2014 shows Italy's defender Giorgio Chiellini (left) showing an apparent bitemark and Uruguay's forward Luis Suarez (right) holding his teeth after the incident during the Group D football match between Italy and Uruguay at the Dunas Arena in Natal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

What you need to know:

  • Suarez lit up the English Premier League last season with club side Liverpool and became one of the online gambling company's brand ambassadors only last month.
  • He had clashed with Giorgio Chiellini in the final minutes of Uruguay's last Group D match against Italy, shortly before the South American champions scored to seal a 1-0 win and knock Italy out of the tournament.

LONDON

Poker brand 888 has cancelled its sponsorship deal with Luis Suarez after the Uruguay striker was banned from all soccer-related activity for four months for biting an opponent during a World Cup match.

Suarez, one of the most talented but controversial players, lit up the English Premier League last season with club side Liverpool and became one of the online gambling company's brand ambassadors only last month.

"888poker signed Luis Suarez following a fantastic season for which his achievements were widely recognised," it said on Friday.

"Regrettably, following his actions during Uruguay's World Cup match against Italy on Tuesday, 888poker has decided to terminate its relationship with Luis Suarez with immediate effect," it said in a brief statement.

Suarez was hit with the longest ban ever imposed at a World Cup on Thursday by soccer's governing body FIFA.

CLASHED WITH CHIELLINI

He had clashed with Giorgio Chiellini in the final minutes of Uruguay's last Group D match against Italy, shortly before the South American champions scored to seal a 1-0 win and knock Italy out of the tournament.

The Italian defender pulled down his collar to show the mark on his shoulder to the referee, who took no action. Reuters photographs showed what FIFA's Disciplinary Committee accepted were bite marks.