Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has apologised for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini. The Uruguay international, who had bitten two opponents on the field of play before, was suspended from "all football-related activity" for four months by FIFA as a result.
Suarez decided to release a statement via Twitter on Monday apologising for his latest indiscretion.
His statement said:
"After several days of being at home with my family, I have had the opportunity to regain my calm and reflect on the reality of what occurred during the Italy-Uruguay match on 24 June 2014. Independent from the fallout and the contradicting declarations that have surfaced during these past days, all of which have been without the intention of interfering with the good performance of my national team, the truth is that my colleague Giorgio Chiellini suffered the physical result of a bite in the collision he suffered with me. For this:
I deeply regret what occurred
I apologise to Giorgio Chiellini and the entire football family
I vow to the public that there will never again be another incident like
Within an hour of the tweet being posted, Chiellini accepted Suarez's apology.
"@luis16suarez It's all forgotten. I hope FIFA will reduce your suspension," the Juventus defender responded on Twitter.
For the big stories and the banter follow us on Twitter: @tribalfootball