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Fred faces the press yesterday. AP/Press Association Images
AH LUIS LUIS

Suarez ban 'too severe', says Fred

The striker’s union is backing their exiled Uruguayan colleague, it seems.

URUGUAY STAR Luis Suarez’s nine-game, four-month ban for biting was “too severe”, according to Brazil striker Fred.

FIFA handed Suarez a nine-match international suspension and handed him a four-month ban from “any kind of football-related activity” after his bite on Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.

Fred, whose Brazil side face Chile in the last 16 at the FIFA World Cup, said Suarez made a mistake, but feels the punishment was heavy handed.

“You can’t deny that he made a mistake, but myself as a player, as a human being, I understand that inside, players get goosebumps. There’s tension, a fight for space,” he said.

“I think that his punishment is a bit too severe, from my point of view. I debated this with a few people, and most people think that it was fair.

“In my point of view it can end an athlete’s career, four months, nine games and everyone all over it, and criticising the mistake he made.

“I do think he needs to be punished, but I would really like to see Suarez playing at this World Cup here in Brazil.”

Meanwhile, Luiz Felipe Scolari appears set to use Fernandinho ahead of Paulinho in midfield for the clash against Chile on Saturday.

Fernandinho came on at half-time against Cameroon, scoring once and setting up another in a 4-1 win.

Fred believes it would make little difference to his team’s approach.

“They are all high-quality players, which have more or less the same characteristics because they are players that play well going forward. And for me this is the most important thing,” he said.

“Someone that can get the ball up front to me and pass it to me. So I just don’t think that the tactical play of the game is going to move that much.”

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