Daniel Sturridge has been banned from playing worldwide until June 2020 and fined $190,000 for breaching betting regulations.
The former Liverpool striker had his contract mutually terminated with Turkish side Trabzonspor on Monday and now it is clear why.
Sturridge, 30, was found guilty of breaching the FA’s gambling regulations ( he had provided his brother with “inside information” over a bet regarding a possible transfer to Sevilla) and was handed a two-week ban last July.
However, the English FA thought that punishment by an independent regulatory commission was too lenient and appealed the decision. Hence why Sturridge is now banned until Jun. 17, 2020.
In a statement posted on their website on Monday the FA revealed that FIFA have now issued a worldwide ban on Sturridge:
“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. FIFA has confirmed that the suspension will be of worldwide effect.”
