FA suspend Suarez for Fulham incident

Luis Suarez has been banned by the Football Association for one match and fined £20,000 for a gesture made towards Fulham fans.

His club Liverpool have also been fined £20,000 for failing to control their players in the same match.

The ruling, announced today by the FA, comes at a sensitive time for the Reds, who have made clear their anger over an eight-game suspension handed to the Uruguayan striker for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.

The Fulham match, on December 5, saw Reds midfielder Jay Spearing sent off, an incident that led to a handful of Liverpool players remonstrating with referee Keith Friend.

The club admitted the charge of failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion but contested the financial penalty.

Despite Liverpool contesting the fine, an independent regulatory commission ruled it was applicable.

Both the club and Suarez, who was pictured apparently giving supporters a one-fingered gesture and admitted the charge against him, have been warned about their future conduct.

Liverpool, whose players and manager, Kenny Dalglish, wore Suarez T-shirts in the warm-up of their match against Wigan, look certain to appeal the eight-game ban against once they have assessed the commission’s detailed report.