888.com Reviewing Luis Suarez Sponsorship Deal Following Bite Incident
Online gambling firm 888.com is said to be reviewing its sponsorship deal with disgraced footballer Luis Suarez. The payer is accused of biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during a Group stage elimination game that saw Uruguay advance.
On Thursday FIFA ruled that Suarez will undergo a nine-game ban from international play, which includes any remaining games at this year’s World Cup.
The sanctions mean that, in addition to his World Cup immediately being over, Suarez will miss nine Premier League games as well as Champions League and Capital One Cup matches before the end of October -- assuming he stays at Liverpool.
This is not the first time the Uruguayan has been cited for biting an opponent. At least two other incidents have been reported. Suarez’s reputation for biting is so well publicized that one Norwegian online gambling website, Bettson.com, offered a betting prop on whether he would sink his teeth into an opposing player. Some 150 customers of the site received payouts as a result of the winning wager.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambing911.com