The Uruguayan forward is accused of sinking his jaws into the shoulder of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in Brazil, just 14 months after he had to apologise for doing the same thing in Britain.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee said this morning that it had opened proceedings against Liverpool player Suarez, and has asked his team to present evidence by 5pm local time (9pm BST) today.
Sequence of events: Footage of the clash (above)
appeared to show Uruguay's Luis Suarez leaning in to bite the shoulder
of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during a crucial World Cup clash
in Natal, Brazil
Down they go: Both men fell to the ground, with Chiellini clutching his shoulder and Suarez holding his teeth
Did he or didn't he? Close-up images showed the moment Suarez leaned in onto his opponent's shoulder
Investigation: The clash between Chiellini (left) and Suarez (right) has sparked a probe by FIFA
‘Any type of proof may be produced,’ FIFA noted in a statement, including ‘reports from referees, declarations from the parties and witnesses, material evidence, audio or video recordings’.
A decision on whether he is guilty of 'assaulting an opponent' must be published before Saturday, when Uruguay play Colombia in a Round of 16 match.
INCIDENT TIMELINE (ALL TIMES BST)
- Yesterday, 6.40pm: Luis Suarez of Uruguay appears to bite Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup group match in Natal, Brazil
- Today, 4.50am: FIFA charges Suarez with assaulting an opponent, in what it describes as an alleged breach of article 48 and/or 57 of the Disciplinary Code
- Today, 9pm: Deadline for Uruguay and Suarez to provide evidence, which may include reports from referees, witness accounts and audio or video recordings
- Saturday, 9pm: Uruguay v Colombia kicks off - by which time a decision on whether Suarez is guilty must have been made by Fifa's disciplinary committee
Both teams were fighting for qualification for the next round and the score still stood at 0-0 in the final minutes.
Then, Suárez clashed with Italy's Chiellini, with live footage showing him lean his head towards his opponent's shoulder.
Both players fell to the ground with Suárez clutching his infamous teeth while Chiellini gesticulated furiously and pulled down his shirt to show the point of impact.
Close-up images appeared to show the imprints of at least five teeth on Chiellini's naked shoulder.
But Liverpool FC star Suárez was not handed a yellow or red card - and minutes after the confrontation Uruguay went 1-0 up, winning the match and qualifying for the knockout stages.
Chiellini, who plays for Italian team Juventus, reacted furiously after the final whistle and insisted he had been bitten.
Opponent: Italy's Giorgio Chiellini looked outraged and showed the apparent point of impact on his shoulder
Evidence: Close-up images showed what looked like the imprints of at least five teeth on his shoulder
Anger: Giorgio Chiellini of Italy pulls down his shirt after the clash with Luis Suarez of Uruguay
He continued, telling Sky Sports Italia: 'Suarez is a sneak and he gets away with it because FIFA want their stars to play in the World Cup.
'I'd love to see if they have the courage to use video evidence against him. The referee saw the bite mark too, but he did nothing about it.'
Suarez himself after the game said: 'These are things that happen on the pitch, we were both in the area, he thrust his shoulder into me.
Confrontation: Both players fell to the ground with Suarez clutching at his now infamous teeth in pain
Not again! Luis Suarez, pictured during the clash between Uruguay and Italy, appeared to bite his opponent
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