Daniel Sturridge has admitted he is devastated to be banned from football until June for breaking betting rules and called on companies to be prevented from taking bets on player transfers. Sturridge (30) was handed a two week ban and £75,000 fine last June after an independent regulatory commission found he had given his brother inside information on a possible move to Sevilla. And an independent appeal board has now found the commission misapplied the FA’s rules and increased his effective playing ban from two weeks to four months. His fine has also been doubled to £150,000 (€172k) and FIFA have confirmed that the suspension will be effective worldwide. On the decision, Sturridge said: “I am going to continue to campaign for professional footballers to be able to speak to their families and close friends freely without the real risk of being charged.

Source: Irish Independent March 03, 2020 07:41 UTC