Montevideo - Uruguay's President Jose Mujica has slammed Fifa leaders as “sons of bitches” for banning the country's star striker Luis Suarez over his infamous World Cup bite.
Mujica called the four month ban on all football activity imposed on Suarez for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini “fascist sanctions”.
The president made the comments to a state-run TV sports show which asked Mujica his opinion of the World Cup as he welcomed the defeated Uruguayans on their return from Brazil late Sunday.
“Those at Fifa are a gang of old sons of bitches,” Mujica said. He gasped and put his hand to his mouth in an I-can't-believe-that-I said-that manner, but smiled.
The journalist asked if he could publish the remark. “For my part, sure,” Mujica shrugged.
“I support the president's remarks,” added his wife, Senator Lucia Topolansky, who was stood next to him.
“They could have sanctioned him,” said Mujica, a 79 year-old ex-guerrilla, “but not with fascist sanctions.”
Suarez bit Chiellini during Uruguay's 1-0 win over Italy to secure a place in the last 16. It was his third offence of biting an opponent.
Fifa slapped Suarez with a four month ban on all football activities, a nine match international suspension and a 100 000 Swiss francs fine.
Without Suarez, Uruguay lost 2-0 to Colombia on Saturday.
The Suarez sanctions have been harshly criticised in Uruguay. Mujica welcomed Suarez at Montevideo airport when he arrived Friday ahead of the team.
In his weekly radio address on Friday, Mujica said the Suarez punishment “will be an eternal shame” in the history of the World Cup.
Sapa-AFP