World Cup: Luis Suarez at risk of losing sponsors over 'bite'

Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan footballer accused of bitting an opponent, is facing not just the end of his World Cup but the wrath of his sponsors.

Fifa, word football's governing body, on Wednesday opened a disciplinary case into claims by Giorgio Chiellini, the Italy defender, that he was bitten by Suarez during a World Cup first round match in the Brazilian city of Natal on Tuesday evening.

Fifa has the power to ban Suarez from international matches for up to two years, covering 24 matches. Some Fifa officials have said they regarded the incident as serious, suggesting the length of any ban is likely to rule out Suarez from playing any further part in the tournament. The world governing body does not have the power to impose a ban on domestic football, but England's FA can take its own action if a player has breached rules in Fifa competitions.

The allegations against Suarez have prompted 888 Poker, the online gambling group, to announce it was "seriously reviewing its relationship" with the 27-year-old Liverpool striker, who has twice before been banned for biting opponents.

Suarez was taken on by 888 Poker as a brand ambassador just two months ago, but the company said it would "not tolerate any unsporting behaviour".

Adidas, the sportswear group which uses Suarez to sell football boots, said it would wait until the outcome of the disciplinary hearing "and then we will see".

In 2013 Adidas warned Suarez about his conduct after he bit Chelsea defender Branislav Invanovic in a Premier League match, incurring a 10-game suspension. Suarez was also banned for seven matches as an Ajax player in 2010 for biting a PSV Eindhoven opponent.

Fifa said on its website that proceedings had begun into apparent breaches of its disciplinary code. Suarez and the Uruguayan FA have until 5pm on Wednesday, Brasilia time, to provide information to the governing body.

The incident appeared to have been missed by the match referee but Fifa can take into account video evidence.

Speaking of the alleged biting incident, Chiellini told Italy's Rai TV: "It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off. It is clear-cut."

In his version of the incident, Suarez told Uruguayan television: "We were both just inside the area, he struck me in the chest with his shoulder and he hit me in the eye as well. These are things that happen on the pitch and you shouldn't attach so much importance to them."

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He has scored 40 times for the national team in 78 appearances and helped his club Liverpool come second in last season's English Premier League, with 31 goals in 33 games.

His brace of goals against England on Thursday revived Uruguay's World Cup campaign, and his country's 1-0 victory over Italy - the game in which the alleged biting incident took place - secured the South Americans' progress from the group stage into a last-16 encounter with Colombia.

Yet Suarez is no stranger to controversy. He gained notoriety in the 2010 World Cup for his deliberate handball in the dying moments of Uruguay's quarter-final against Ghana. He was sent-off but Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan missed the resultant penalty, causing wild celebrations from Suarez on the touchline. He was also banned for eight matches and fined in 2011 for the alleged racial abuse of Patrice Evra, the Manchester United defender.

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