Soccer

Daniel Sturridge banned from all football activity until June 17th

England striker has betting ban extended and contract with Trabzonspor terminated

Daniel Sturridge is once more a free agent. Photograph: Getty Images

Mon Mar 2 2020 - 16:07

Daniel Sturridge has been banned from "all football and football-related activity" worldwide until June 17th, been fined £150,000 (€175,000) and his three-year contract with Trabzonspor has been terminated after six months after the Football Association successfully appealed against the length of his ban for a betting offence.

His time playing in England ended under a cloud after he was fined £75,000 (€87,000) and banned for six weeks last summer – with the final four weeks of his ban suspended – when he was found guilty of providing his brother with inside information on a potential move to Sevilla in 2018. The FA appealed against the short length of that ban and today announced the player's "effective playing ban" had been extended from two weeks to four months". The fine has also now been doubled.

In a statement the FA said: “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.”

“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.”

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The governing body added: “Fifa has confirmed that the suspension will be of worldwide effect.”

The former Liverpool and England striker, aged 30, had signed the deal with Trabzonspor on 21 August after his contract with Liverpool expired. Sturridge scored seven goals in 16 appearances for the Turkish side, who top the Super Lig table after 23 matches on goal difference with all of the top three on the same number of points. His goal return in the league was four from 11 appearances, with his remaining three coming from a two-legged Turkish Cup tie against the second-tier side Altay.

A Trabzonspor statement said: "The contract signed between our company and our professional footballer Daniel Andre Sturridge, dated 21.08.2019 and ending 31.05.2021 has been mutually terminated. In accordance with the termination agreement, the football player gave up all his forward-looking rights and receivables."

Earlier, the club tweeted: “We thank Daniel Sturridge for his contributions to our club and wish him success in his career #thankyoudanielsturridge.”

The past six months have been marked by the same injury frustrations that have blighted the forward’s career and effectively ended his international hopes, with groin, thigh and calf problems restricting his availability in recent times. His most recent of 26 England caps came in a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania in 2017.

Sturridge began his senior career with Manchester City and Chelsea, and also spent time on loan at Bolton and West Brom, and overall has 118 goals from 328 appearances. Signed by Liverpool in January 2013, he struck a superb partnership with Luis Suárez that fired the club's 2013-14 league season where they finished only two points behind the champions Manchester City. His 25-goal campaign in all competitions that season remains his best return, but after hip surgery in 2015 and the arrival of Roberto Firmino his opportunities at the club became increasingly limited. - Guardian

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