Luis Suarez bite: Ban upheld but striker allowed to train
Luis Suarez bite: Ban upheld but striker allowed to train
Luis Suarez's four-month biting ban has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but the Uruguay striker can now train with new club Barcelona.
A full explanation of the ruling will not be published until a later date.
Suarez's lawyers argued world governing body Fifa's decision to suspend him from all "football-related activity" for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup was excessive.
Suarez, 27, will be available from El Clasico at Real Madrid on 26 October.
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker tweeted : "Luis Suarez's appeal against a 4 month ban has failed. He is though, sensibly I think, now allowed to train with the team."
The Uruguay striker will continue to serve a nine-match international ban but, having previously been banned from all "football-related activity", he can now train and attend matches as well as undertake promotional activities.
Luis Suarez's lawyers say the decision means he can play for Uruguay in friendlies in September and October, while Barcelona have a pre-season friendly against Mexican side Club Leon at Camp Nou on Monday.
BBC Sport is seeking clarification from Fifa as to whether Suarez can now play in those matches.
Cas said: "The sanctions imposed on the player by Fifa have been generally confirmed."
But the court said preventing Suarez from taking part in any football activity was "excessive" as not allowing him to train would have had an impact on the player after the end of the suspension.
Suarez's legal team said the appeal was a success after they argued Fifa had "misapplied its own rules when considering the case and the sanction it imposed was disproportionate".
Although they confirmed the possibility of appealing against the Cas decision at the Swiss Supreme Court, the grounds for appeal are "very restricted".
Suarez was a Liverpool player at the time of his clash with Chiellini but has since left Anfield to join Barcelona in a £75m deal.
Barcelona's La Liga season starts at home to Elche on 24 August, meaning Suarez will miss eight games before he can make his debut for the Catalan giants.
The ban, handed down by world governing body Fifa, is the longest in World Cup history.
Suarez apologised some time after the incident, despite initially claiming to have lost his balance.
He has previously been suspended for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal and Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.
He was also given an eight-match suspension and fined £40,000 for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra in 2011.