Sturridge punishment increased

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.

The ex-liverpool player is suspended from all football and football-related activity until the end of June 17 after the Football Association successfully appealed against the initial punishment given last summer.

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 during the January 2018 transfer window.

The FA appealed against the commission’s findings as well as the sanctions imposed, believing them to be too lenient. And an independent appeal board has now found the commission misapplied the FA’S rules on the use of inside information.

The appeal board has therefore proven two further charges and agreed with the FA that the penalty originally imposed was unduly lenient, increasing his playing ban from two weeks to four months.

His fine has also been doubled to £150,000 and Fifa has confirmed that the suspension will be of worldwide effect.

Sturridge, who has mutually terminated his contract at Turkish side Trabzonspor, told his official Youtube account: “It was very disappointing and upsetting for me to hear the news that the appeal panel had overturned the original highly qualified panel’s ruling.

“That being said, it is devastating for me and I’m absolutely gutted about it. My season is over and I am devastated.”

Daniel Sturridge: contract at Trabzonspor terminated.