888 Poker drops Luis Suarez whilst Adidas halts marketing amidst bite ban fallout
Gambling firm 888 Poker has ended its corporate sponsorship of Uruguayan Luis Suarez after the player was handed a four-month ban by FIFA for biting a fellow player at the World Cup.
Suarez must now sit out nine international matches and hang up his football boots for four months after he was filmed biting the shoulder of Italian Giorgio Chiellini on pitch.
In a statement the gambling firm said: “'888poker signed Luis Suarez following a fantastic season for which his achievements were widely recognized. Regrettably, following his actions during Uruguay’s World Cup match against Italy on Tuesday, 888poker has decided to terminate its relationship with Luis Suarez with immediate effect.”
Other sponsors, notably Adidas, are currently reviewing their sponsorship of the player but have already dropped the star from all commercial activities for the duration of the World Cup.
Commenting on the issue, they said: “Adidas fully supports FIFA’s decision. Adidas certainly does not condone Luis Suarez’s recent behaviour and we will again be reminding him of the high standards we expect from our players. We have no plan to use Suarez for any additional marketing activities during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. We will discuss all aspects of our future partnership directly with Suarez and his team following the World Cup.”