Luis Suarez: Barcelona cannot formally unveil Uruguayan

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Luis Suarez: Striker is not irreplaceable - Mark Lawrenson

Barcelona will not be able to publicly unveil Luis Suarez when he completes his £75m move from Liverpool.

Barca have had a bid accepted for Suarez, who is serving a four-month ban from all "football-related activity" for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini.

But they will not be able to present him in a ceremony at the Nou Camp, as they have done with previous signings.

Fifa's head of media Delia Fischer said Uruguayan Suarez, 27, "cannot be in a football-related public event".

Image source, AFP
Image caption,

Neymar waves to the Barcelona supporters in the Nou Camp at his unveiling

There had been suggestions Barca would be able to present Suarez - who cannot play for his new club until November - at a venue other than the Nou Camp.

But Fischer said: "He cannot even be involved in a football-related charity event."

It was estimated about 90,000 fans were in the Nou Camp for Brazil forward Neymar's presentation in June 2013.

Cesc Fabregas, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Villa have been introduced to the Barcelona supporters in similar fashion in recent years.

As well as his four-month suspension, Suarez was also banned for nine international matches and fined 100,000 Swiss francs (£66,000) after biting Chiellini during Uruguay's World Cup match against Italy on 24 June.

After initially claiming his innocence, he apologised to Chiellini.

A lawyer for Suarez claimed the punishment was "blatantly draconian, totalitarian and fascist".

Alejandro Balbi told Spanish radio station Cope:, external "The right of a footballer to work is being violated and football should be worried about that.

"The nine games may seem excessive, but the fact he can't watch a game of football or train or carry out his job - we are talking about unpleasant things."

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