URUGUAY coach Oscar Tabarez quit the positions he holds with FIFA on Friday in protest against the ban world football’s governing body imposed on star striker Luis Suarez for biting an Italian opponent at the World Cup.

In a press conference ahead of Uruguay’s round-of-16 clash with Colombia, Tabarez accused FIFA of an indiscriminate use of power by imposing an ‘excessive’ punishment on Suarez, who he said has been made a ‘scapegoat’.

He added that the Liverpool striker will have full support of the Uruguayan FA.

At a packed press conference at the Maracana, Tabarez read out a 15-minute statement in which he attacked FIFA and left without taking any questions to the applause of Uruguayan reporters who had assembled there.

Tabarez said he was resigning from his positions on both FIFA’s Strategy Committee and Technical Study Group (TSG) — an expert panel which analyses international matches — because he believes Suarez’s punishment was unfair.

“It is not wise or prudent to be in an organisation with people, those who exerted pressure to promote this decision and those who rendered the award, who managed procedures and values very different to those I have.

“Therefore, in the coming days, I will file my resignation to that position formally.”

Suarez was banned on Thursday for Uruguay’s next nine competitive international matches and from any involvement in football for four months after biting defender Giorgio Chiellini in their 1-0 Group ‘D’ win over Italy on Tuesday.

And Tabarez accused the English media of pressuring FIFA into making Suarez’s ban so long.

“We never thought the decision would be what it was and of such an excessive severity,” he said.

“It was a decision much more focused on the opinions of the media who at the conclusion of the match, and at the press conference afterwards focused on just one topic.

“I don’t know what their nationality was — but they all spoke English.”

In a scathing attack on FIFA, he said he and Uruguay will not accept indiscriminate use of power.

“We all know where the power lies — in the hands of the organiser,” he said.

“But that does not mean we will accept the indiscriminate use of that power. I am talking about the Disciplinary Committee that imparts justice.

“I have also been a teacher in my life and a professor and I am presenting the theory of the scapegoat, and there is a danger in proceeding this way.”

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2014