RIO DE JANEIRO: FIFA officials on Wednesday refused to be drawn on any possible punishment Luis Suarez could face if found guilty of biting as disciplinary chiefs prepared to decide the Uruguay striker’s fate.

FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer said the governing body’s disciplinary panel would meet after a 5:00pm (2100 GMT) deadline to gather evidence it had been passed.

Suarez faces expulsion from the World Cup if he is found guilty of biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during a Group D match on Tuesday.

However Fischer said she would not comment on possible punishments for Suarez until the disciplinary panel had reviewed the evidence.

“The disciplinary committee does not yet have all the elements,” Fischer said.

“The disciplinary committee is working to get a decision as early as possible.

“We cannot anticipate what could or could not happen.” Fischer said while Suarez had “the right to be heard” the player was not expected to travel to Rio de Janeiro to address disciplinary officials.

Fischer declined to say whether any potential punishment of Suarez could extend to club football as well as international football.

“It’s the disciplinary committee which decides the scope of any potential sanctions,” she said.

She also suggested FIFA could take into account Suarez’s checkered disciplinary history when mulling the case.

The 27-year-old striker has twice been hit with long bans during his club career with Ajax and Liverpool for biting opponents.

He also served a long ban for racially abusing Manchester United Patrice Evra in 2011.

Asked if past offenses could be taken into consideration, Fischer replied: “The disciplinary committee can take all elements into account as it deems necessary.”


Risks losing sponsorship deal

Poker brand 888 said it was reviewing its sponsorship deal with Luis Suarez after the Uruguay striker was accused of biting an opponent during a World Cup match on Tuesday.

Suarez, who plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League, became one of the online gambling company’s brand ambassadors last month.

“Following the allegations made against Luis Suarez in regards to his behavior during Uruguay’s World Cup match against Italy, 888poker is seriously reviewing its relationship with the player as we will not tolerate any unsporting behavior,” 888poker said in a statement on Wednesday.

Soccer’s governing body FIFA is investigating an incident, which has made headlines around the world. Suarez, twice previously banned for biting, looks likely to be hit with another lengthy suspension despite escaping punishment during the match.

Tough childhood to blame

Suarez’s propensity for biting opponents stems from his under-privileged childhood, a leading sports psychologist told the BBC.

The 27-year-old Liverpool striker — who has been banned for lengthy periods for two previous biting incidents — is alleged to have bitten Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in their World Cup Group D game on Tuesday.

Governing body FIFA are investigating the incident and if found guilty of biting he could face a ban of up to 24 matches.

“The formative years of people’s development do contribute to their personality. If you look at his history, Suarez had a fairly hard upbringing (he was one of seven children born into poverty), which would have been fighting for survival — he was streetwise,” Dr. Tom Fawcett from Salford University told the BBC on Wednesday.

“If it’s happened before, it’ll happen again,” Fawcett said. “Despite all the help, he’s going to do it again.” Fawcett said that Suarez required more help than just spending some time undergoing therapy with people such as him as the problem was so deeply etched in his psyche.

“I would suggest he is hard-wired in this way,” said Fawcett.

Campaign against Luis

Suarez’s lawyer believes there is a European campaign against the controversial striker.

“We don’t have any doubts that this has happened because it’s Suarez and secondly because Italy was eliminated,” said Uruguay FA board member Alejandro Balbi, who is also Suarez’s lawyer.

“There’s a lot of pressure from England and Italy,” Balbi told local Uruguayan radio. “We’re polishing off a defense argument.”