Daniel Sturridge has been handed a worldwide football ban until June and fined £150,000 after being found guilty of breaching the FA’s gambling regulations.
The former Liverpool striker, who terminated his contract with Turkish side Trabzonspor earlier on Monday, was handed a two-week ban and a £75,000 fine in July after a regulatory commission ruled that he had provided his brother with “inside information” and instructed him to bet on his possible transfer to Sevilla in January 2018.
The FA considered the decision to be too lenient and lodged an appeal, and an independent appeal board has now found that the regulatory commission misapplied the FA’s rules and found proven two further charges against Sturridge which were originally dismissed.
“Daniel Sturridge has been suspended from all football and football-related activity from today until the end of 17 June 2020,” said an FA statement on Monday.
“Following an appeal by the FA of the previous findings of the independent regulatory commission in this case, an independent appeal board has found that the regulatory commission misapplied the FA’s rules in relation to the use of inside information and made findings of fact which could not be sustained.
“As a result, the appeal board has found proven two further charges which were originally dismissed. Other factual findings of the regulatory commission were left undisturbed.
“In relation to the sanction, the appeal board agreed with the FA that the penalty originally imposed on Mr Sturridge was unduly lenient and therefore increased his effective playing ban from two weeks to four months. The appeal board also doubled the fine to £150,000.
“FIFA has confirmed that the suspension will be of worldwide effect.”
The 30-year-old’s departure from Trabzonspor on Monday morning came as a surprise considering he signed a three-year deal in the summer, scoring seven goals in 13 appearances after being released by Liverpool.
“The professional footballer contract signed between our company and our professional footballer Daniel Andre Sturridge, dated 21.08.2019 and ending 31.05.2021 has been mutually terminated,” a Trabzonspor statement read.
“In accordance with the termination agreement, the football player gave up all his forward-looking rights and receivables.”