According to the disciplinary committee chief of FIFA, Luis Suarez is permitted to have a medical before a transfer to a football club. Claudio Sulser said that the committee has not prohibited the Liverpool striker to move clubs should a transfer deal has been reached. The Guardian said that FC Barcelona is reportedly in talks with the Uruguayan's current club to sign him.
Sulser said, "The player cannot have any activity related to football, but a medical examination for a transfer yes - the sanction is not linked to transfer rights."
Apart from showcasing his impressive skills as professional football player for his team at this year's World Cup, Suarez gained albeit a negative attention worldwide for biting opponent player Giorgio Chiellini in the shoulder during an intense match against Italy. FIFA later imposed a wide-ranging ban, prohibiting Suarez to partake in nine international matches, all of football for four months, and a £66,000 fine. The ban met some criticism from fans and much of Uruguay, who still considered Suarez a hero considering the national team's performance in the tournament ahead of the biting incident. The ban also met criticism from players including Chiellini himself, who dubbed the punishment too severe. Suarez has since issued an apology on Twitter regarding the incident, of which Chiellini acknowledged and forgave the player also on social media.
Sulser, on the other hand, does not view the punishment as an example to curb future misconduct on the field. He touted the punishment as "justice" for the deplorable act.
He said, while acknowledging that Uruguay has filed an appeal, "This is still an ongoing case and an appeal has been filed, so I prefer not to give my opinion. When the committee was analyzing this case, one thing I mentioned in my capacity as the chairman is we don't need to impose an exemplary sanction, we need to have justice and reached the sanction in a very severe case."
