Football
ESPN staff 10y

Suarez appeal set for Aug. 8 - reports

Luis Suarez's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport will be heard on Aug. 8 after the striker's bid to have his four-month suspension for biting an opponent was fast-tracked, according to widespread reports. 

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Suarez is currently banned from all football-related activity by FIFA for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini while representing Uruguay at the World Cup, although that did not preclude him from completing his 75 million-pound move from Liverpool to Barcelona last month.

An appeal to world football's governing body was rejected last month.

According to reports including Spanish newspaper AS and UK-based outlet The Guardian, a decision is expected the week after the appeal is heard at the court based in Lausanne, Switzerland. That means Suarez could be training with his new teammates within the next two weeks and be available for their first match of the season in La Liga at home to Elche on Sunday, Aug. 24..

On Thursday, Barca forward Pedro described Suarez's ban -- which also includes his next nine competitive international matches -- as "excessive" while his former Liverpool teammate, Iago Aspas, claimed last week that FIFA was treating the striker "like a murderer."

Should Suarez serve out his entire four-month, nine-match international ban, his first match back could be el clasico -- Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, now scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 25-26. However, that will determined by when Spanish broadcasters chose to have the game scheduled that weekend. Suarez's ban ends on Oct. 26, a Sunday.

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