Uruguay football chief says not enough proof against Suarez

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Uruguay football chief says not enough proof against Suarez

DANIEL GARCIA / AFP

Uruguay Football Association chief Wilmar Valdez said Wednesday there is insufficient proof to sanction star striker Luiz Suarez for biting an Italian defender.

"We believe that there is not sufficient evidence to truly sanction Luis," Valdez told Channel 10 television.

"It has to be clear and on the video that FIFA gave us we think that it is not really clear," Valdez said after presenting a case for Suarez to a FIFA hearing in Rio de Janeiro.

"We are confident that our defence will obtain results," he added.

Suarez is accused of biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's 1-0 over Italy in World Cup Group D on Tuesday. The victory took Uruguay through to the second round.

Uruguayan media said FIFA could announce a decision on the disciplinary hearing against Suarez on Wednesday night or early Thursday.

The Uruguay team is in Natal preparing for its second round game against Colombia on Saturday.

Uruguay captain Diego Lugano dismissed the incident meanwhile as "totally irrelevant" and accused British media of "persecuting" his teammate.

"What incident? Which incident? I don't know what incident you're talking about," the defender said when asked by a British journalist about the "Suarez incident".

"Are you talking about the (English) Premier League or the national team? Do you have a score to settle?"

The journalist tried to explain himself in English but he was told the press conference was in Spanish.

"I don't understand English," said Lugano, who played for English club West Bromwich Albion last season.

"British media are persecuting Suarez, everybody knows it. It sells newspapers over there. You wouldn't be here if that wasn't the case," he told reporters in Natal.

"We are happy about yesterday's triumph," Lugano said.

Addressing the British journalist again, he said: "I think you're not happy because one can see it in your face that you're not very happy about Uruguay's victory."

"We are talking about a totally irrelevant incident. Other incidents are more violent -- an elbow to the nose or a kick on the leg of the opponent, that is violent."

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-06-26

[hanno]

Pretty arrogant bunch

[NongKhaiKid]

Must have been taking lessons in talking to the media from Kenny Dalgliesh and Brendan Rodgers.

[BookMan]

Deny deny deny.

If i say it did not happen then it did not happen

[Mosha]

Well I watched the video on BBC, and there is an obvious lunge from Suarez's head at the Italian's shoulder.

[attento]

Teethmarks ?

[Calach]

Boohoo...He beat my teeth with his back !

[stevenl]

Sometimes people should just shut up. Better to have no comments than stupid ones.

[salty]

Uruguay circling the wagons.

[vogie]

Well he would say that, wouldn't he!

[ratcatcher]

Teethmarks ?

No doubt these were made by a passing vampire bat.

[Exsexyman]

Teethmarks ?

Giorgio-Chiellini-Italy-U-009.jpg

No doubt these were made by a passing vampire bat.

The Uruguayan football authorities are claiming today that the bite marks were photo shopped! And that the whole thing is a conspiracy between the Italian and British press. Never mind that the bite marks were clearly shown live on TV at the time of the incident. Is this seriously going to be their defence? Sadly, given FIFA's track record i could quite believe they will accept this explanation.

[marko kok prong]

With teeth like that,i suggest it would be pretty hard not to want to bite someone,i mean that is one hell of a set of Knashers,Chellini should count himself lucky, that mad Luis did not rip flesh from him and then scamper to the sideline and consume it looking round like a rabid wolf,he either needs a muzzle or get the teeth pulled.

[bigbamboo]

Not enough proof.

What about the countless millions of witnesses on TV?

[Mosha]

4 months ban from all football,