MONTEVIDEO: Uruguay’s President Jose Mujica has slammed FIFA leaders for banning the country’s star striker Luis Suarez over his infamous World Cup bite.

Mujica called the four-month ban on all football activity imposed on Suarez for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini “fascist sanctions”.

The president made the comments to a state-run TV sports show which asked Mujica his opinion of the World Cup as he welcomed the defeated Uruguayans on their return from Brazil late Sunday.

“Those at FIFA are a gang,” Mujica said. He gasped.

The journalist asked if he could publish the remark. “For my part, sure,” Mujica shrugged.

“I support the president’s remarks,” added his wife, Senator Lucia Topolansky, who was stood next to him.

“They could have sanctioned him,” said Mujica, a 79 year-old ex-guerrila, “but not with fascist sanctions.”

In his weekly radio address on Friday, Mujica said the Suarez punishment “will be an eternal shame” in the history of the World Cup.

Published in Dawn, July 1st , 2014