THE ENGLISH FOOTBALL Association (FA) has suspended Daniel Sturridge from all football related activity until the end of June 17, 2020 following an investigation into betting misconduct, with Fifa also confirming that the former Liverpool striker’s ban applies worldwide.
Sturridge, who was released by Turkish side Trabzonspor today, was originally handed a £75,000 fine and a six-week suspension back in July of 2019, with four of those weeks having been pushed back until August 31, 2020.
However, it has now been decided that the Regulatory Commission’s punishment was “unduly lenient”.
The striker has seen the originally fine doubled to £150,000 and, effective immediately, will not be allowed to participate in any football activity for four months.
An FA statement released on Monday reads: “Daniel Sturridge has been suspended from all football and football-related activity from today until the end of 17 June 2020.
“Following an appeal by The FA of the previous findings of the independent Regulatory Commission in this case, an independent Appeal Board has found that the Regulatory Commission misapplied The FA’s Rules in relation to the use of inside information and made findings of fact which could not be sustained.
“As a result, the Appeal Board has found proven two further charges which were originally dismissed. Other factual findings of the Regulatory Commission were left undisturbed.
In relation to the sanction, the Appeal Board agreed with The FA that the penalty originally imposed on Mr Sturridge was unduly lenient and therefore increased his effective playing ban from two weeks to four months. The Appeal Board also doubled the fine to £150,000.
“The written reasons in this matter are available below and provide considerable detail in relation to all the charges and the Appeal Board’s determinations of them. As will be clear, The FA takes any form of betting misconduct and the provision of inside information very seriously.
“Fifa has confirmed that the suspension will be of worldwide effect.” The news comes following a statement released by Trabzonspor on Monday, the Super Lig side relaying that Sturridge’s three-year contract had been terminated by mutual consent.
It had been speculated that the England man’s fitness issues had been the cause of the parting of ways, but the FA’s communique has cleared up the matter.
Indeed, those investigating the case released a 65-page document on their findings, all relating back to the player breaching the ‘inside information’ rule in 2018, during which time he had given details to family and friends regarding a potential move to Sevilla.
The 30-year-old revealed on Monday he cut short his spell with Trabzonspor because he is unable to play and says bookmakers should not be allowed to take bets on transfer moves.
He said in a video posted on Instagram: “I just want to say it’s been a very long, drawn-out process over the last couple of years and difficult to concentrate on my football.
“It’s also been a crazy few days. I’m going to continue to campaign for professional footballers to be able to speak to their families and close friends without the real risk of being charged.
“I feel it’s the betting companies and the process of people being able to place bets on players moving clubs [that] has to be stopped.
“And although the appeal panel had recognised that I hadn’t bet, nobody else had bet, I was still charged, so it was very disappointing and upsetting for me to hear the news that the appeal panel had overturned the original highly-qualified panel’s ruling.
“With that being said, [it's] devastating for me and I’m absolutely gutted about it. My season’s over and [I'm] devastated.
“I feel uncomfortable and I just don’t think it’s the right thing for me to be able to continue accepting wages from a team that I can’t contribute to due to being banned and I have come to a mutual agreement with Trabzonspor to terminate my contract.”
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