Suarez Dicekal FiFA, Adidas Stop Iklannya Selama Piala Dunia
Suarez`s Adidas Deal Hangs in the Balance Until after the World Cup
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
Rio de Janeiro (B2B) - Raksasa alat-alat olah raga Adidas menyatakan akan berhenti menggunakan Luis Suarez, yang adalah salah seorang bintang promosi utamanya, selama iklan Piala Dunia setelah hukuman larangan empat bulan beraktivitas sepak bola kepada pemain itu akibat menggigit pemain Italia Giorgio Chiellini.
"Adidas mendukung penuh keputusan FIFA," kata juru bicara Adidas Mariana Ramos. "Kami tidak menerima perilaku Luis Suarez yang terakhir ini dan akan mengingatkan dia mengenai standard tinggi yang kami mintakan kepada para pemain kami".
"Kami tak berencana menggunakan Suarez untuk aktivitas pemasaran apa pun selama Piala Dunia FIFA 2014," tandas Mariana Ramos, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
FIFA melarang Suarez tampil pada sembilan laga internasional dan dari sepak bola selam empat bulan serta menjatuhkan denda 100.000 franc Swiss.
Selain menjadi sponsor FIFA selama hampir empat dekade, perusahaan berbasis di Jerman itu adalah juga sponsor pribadi Suarez.
Mariana Ramos berkata kepada AFP bahwa Suarez telah ikut serta dalam berbagai kegiatan promosi perusahaan itu yang berkaitan dengan Piala Dunia, namun kini tidak lagi.
"Rencana ke depan setelah Piala Dunia akan direvisi begitu turnamen ini berakhir," jelas Ramos.
Uruguay lolos ke16 besar Piala Dunia untuk menghadapi Kolombia di Rio pada Sabtu di fase knock out setelah menyingkirkan Italia dan Inggris di fase 32 besar.
Suarez tertangkap basah menggigit Chiellini di akhir laga dengan Italia yang mengantar kemenangan buat Uruguay di Natal pada Selasa.
Tayangan ulang di televisi memperlihatkan ulah memalukan Suarez menggigit bahu pemain Italia dalam insiden yang tidak dilihat wasit.
Rio de Janeiro - Sportswear giant Adidas said it would stop using Luis Suarez, one of its key promotional stars, for World Cup adverts after his four-month ban from football activities for biting Italian Giorgio Chiellini.
"Adidas fully backs FIFA's decision," a spokeswoman told AFP. "We do not accept the recent behaviour of Luis Suarez and shall remind him of the high standards we expect of our players.
"We have no plan to use Suarez for any other marketing activities during the 2014 FIFA World Cup."
FIFA banned Suarez for nine internationals and from football for four months and also fined him 100,000 Swiss francs ($A121,000).
As well as being a major FIFA sponsor for almost four decades, the German company is a personal sponsor of Suarez, now set to serve the third suspension of his career for biting.
Mariana Ramos, Adidas spokeswoman in Sao Paulo, told AFP Suarez was to have featured in all of Uruguay's sponsorship-related World Cup activities but would no longer play any role.
"Future plans for after the World Cup will be revised once the tournament is over," she explained.
Uruguay are still in the tournament and face Colombia in Rio on Saturday in the second phase having knocked out fellow former champions England and Italy in the group stage.
Suarez appeared to bite Chiellini in the closing stages of his side's win over Italy in Natal on Tuesday.
Television replays showed him approaching Chiellini from behind and appearing to lean into the Italian's shoulder.
