Luis Suarez is considering his future in English football having been left stunned by a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic at Anfield on Sunday.

Liverpool have repeatedly denied they would sell their leading goalscorer, as recently as Monday, but there are concerns within the club the severity of the punishment has left Suarez feeling persecuted and more open to offers from Europe this summer.

Juventus have retained an interest in the 26-year-old since last year, Bayern Munich have been linked because Pep Guardiola’s brother, Pere, is Suarez’ agent and the striker will be a target for Atletico Madrid in the event of Radamel Falcao’s departure.

Suarez will be sidelined until September as a result of yesterday’s ruling by an independent regulatory commission and has until midday tomorrow to appeal one of the longest suspensions imposed by the Football Association in England.

The ban has commenced with immediate effect.

Joey Barton

The striker would still have to serve the final six games of the suspension next season if he moved abroad, as was the case when Joey Barton moved to Marseille in the midst of a 12-match ban collected at Queens Park Rangers.

But the belief he is being victimised by the football authorities in England has prompted Suarez to consider a fresh start in Europe.

The Uruguay forward continues to feel wronged by the eight-match suspension and €47,000 fine he received last season for racially abusive language towards Patrice Evra, a decision reached by another independent commission.

In a submission to the hearing yesterday, Suarez claimed the bite on the Serbian defender did not deserve more than an automatic three-match ban for violent conduct.

Liverpool had feared Suarez’ chequered career in English football and pressure from the British prime minister’s office would result in a substantial ban but were taken aback by its severity.

The club and player will receive written reasons for the 10-match suspension from the FA today.

Liverpool supported Suarez' decision to challenge the FA's announcement a three-match ban was "clearly insufficient" and an appeal is expected.

Rebuked

Ian Ayre, the Liverpool managing director who publicly rebuked Suarez after the game on Sunday and fined him on Monday, said: “Both the club and player are shocked and disappointed at the severity of today’s independent regulatory commission decision. We await the written reasons tomorrow before making any further comment.”

The commission’s explanation for the 10-match suspension will not be made public until Liverpool and Suarez have received its full report.

A seven-match ban from the Dutch FA for biting PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal in November 2010 could not be taken into account by the panel but they could consider Suarez’ disciplinary record in English football, including the Evra verdict, if they wished.

Suarez’ punishment has led to criticism of the inconsistencies in the FA’s disciplinary process, with Jermain Defoe receiving only a yellow card for biting Javier Mascherano in 2006 and therefore avoiding retrospective punishment, and the Uruguayan landing a longer ban for biting than using racially abusive language.

The FA’s position on racist abuse has changed since the Suarez and John Terry cases, however, and the organisation has drawn up stiffer penalties that are expected to be announced within weeks.

The commission considered the FA’s charge of violent conduct, and recommendation that three matches were insufficient, against a written submission from Liverpool on Suarez’s behalf.

Guardian Service