Luis Suarez incident; the bite that won the bet

Uruguay's Luis Suarez reacts while sitting on the pitch during the group D World Cup soccer match between Italy and Uruguay at the Arena das Dunas in Natal, Brazil. AP

A Swedish gambling company says a punter in Norway has won 5,600 kroner ($916) on a bet that Uruguay striker Luis Suarez would bite someone during the World Cup.

Betsson group spokesman Mikael Mellqvist told The Associated Press in an email on Wednesday that a bettor in Norway won the money on a 32 kroner bet, increasing the outlay 175-fold.

He said the company received bets on a Suarez bite amounting to “six-figures in Norwegian kroner.”

Norwegian media identified the winner as Thomas Syversen, who reportedly was asleep during the Uruguay-Italy game on Tuesday, when Suarez allegedly bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on the left shoulder.

A foul was not called but FIFA is investigating the claim and might suspend Suarez, who has twice before been disciplined for biting opponents.

Fiba probe on

Fifa have opened disciplinary proceedings against Uruguay forward Luis Suarez after Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini accused him of biting during the South Americans’ 1-0 Group D victory at the World Cup on Tuesday.

The probe means Suarez, twice previously banned for biting, may be hit with another lengthy suspension despite escaping punishment during the match.

“Fifa can confirm that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the player Luis Suarez of Uruguay,” the world soccer body said in a statement late on Tuesday.

Fifa said Suarez and the Uruguayan soccer association had until 5 p.m. Brasilia time (2000 GMT) on Wednesday to “provide their position and any documentary evidence they deem relevant”.

Fifa is probing what it called an apparent breach of two articles of the organisation’s disciplinary code. One covers infringements and the other offensive behaviour and fair play.

Suarez and Chiellini clashed in the Italian penalty area 10 minutes from the end of the match which sealed Uruguay’s progression and Italy’s elimination from the tournament.

Chiellini furiously pulled open his shirt to show the mark to the referee.

Reuters photographs show what appeared to be bite marks on his shoulder and pictures also showed Suarez sitting on the ground holding his teeth immediately after the incident.

The Italians were still complaining about it when Uruguay’s Diego Godin scored with an 81^st-minute header to secure the win.

“It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off,” Chiellini told Rai TV. “It is clear, clear-cut and then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn’t have done.”

Suarez contested that version of events, however.

“Those are situations that happen on the pitch. We were both just there inside the area. He shoved me with his shoulder, and my eye got left like that also,” he said in reference to Chiellini’s mark.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said he did not see the incident, and complained that the forward was being persecuted.

“It seems there is this animosity toward him and he is being persecuted by past events,” a visibly agitated Tabarez said when repeatedly being asked about the alleged bite. “There are people hiding behind the tree waiting for something to happen.”

Ten-game ban

Liverpool’s Suarez was banned for 10 games last year after biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League match and in 2010 he was suspended for seven games for biting PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal while playing for Ajax Amsterdam.

He missed Uruguay’s World Cup semi-final against the Netherlands four years ago after being sent off for a handball on the line that denied Ghana what would have been a match-winning goal in the final minute of extra time.