Luis Suarez's shameful bite on Giorgio Chiellini
has cost him a sponsorship deal with 888poker,
the company confirmed on Friday.
Suarez was hit with a four-month ban from all
football activity by FIFA on Thursday and is also
banned for nine international games with
Uruguay.
And the 27-year-old's moment of madness has
also hit him in the pocket: one of his main off-
pitch sponsors, 888poker, has confirmed it is
ending its deal with the striker.
A company statement read on Yahoo Sport:
"888poker signed Luis Suarez following a
fantastic season for which his achievements
were widely recognised.
"Regrettably, following his actions during
Uruguay's World Cup match against Italy on
Tuesday, 888poker has decided to terminate its
relationship with Luis Suarez with immediate
effect."
The poker company may not be the only firm to
distance themselves from Suarez.
Forbes magazine reports that Adidas are taking
the matter "very seriously" – something which
could translate into financial repercussions,
considering that Suarez had already tried the
firm's patience when he bit Branislav Ivanovic
last year.
Adidas is reported to be considering pulling his
deal and will apparently make a decision
following the World Cup.888poker, which made $53.2m (£31m) in pre-tax profits in 2013, signed Suarez last month and have been running a series of promotions to cash in on his name.888poker had clearly been watching Suarez's efforts in Brazil closely, and celebrating his goals at the World Cup: Suarez is not the first sports star to be hit in the pocket for his behaviour.
Tiger Woods's income dropped dramatically as
several sponsors dropped him or declined to
renew existing deals following the revelations
over his extra-marital affairs in 2009, with
Accenture and Gatorade – whose endorsement
was worth a reported $100 million – among
those who distanced themselves from the golf
superstar.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.
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