Daniel Sturridge banned from football for FOUR months worldwide after breaking betting rules leading to Trabzonspor axe
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DANIEL STURRIDGE was hit by a four-month ban for betting offences — then claimed it was a defeat for freedom of speech.
The striker, 30, saw his three-year deal with Turks Trabzonspor terminated after the FA won an appeal against an initial two-week suspension, imposed in July.
He was found guilty of two breaches over transfer information given to family members.
And an independent appeal board whacked up the ban and doubled an initial fine to £150,000, after also upholding two of nine charges which had originally been dismissed.
Sturridge and his club announced the striker’s contract had been ended “by mutual consent”.
And the former Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City man then insisted he was the victim.
He said it had been a “crazy few days” when it was “difficult to concentrate on my football”.
In a video on YouTube, he said: “I’m devastated and absolutely gutted.
“My season is over. I feel uncomfortable and don’t think it’s the right thing for me to continue accepting wages from a team I can’t contribute to.
“I’m going to continue to campaign for professional footballers to be able to speak to their families and close friends freely without the real risk of being charged.
“The appeal panel recognised I hadn’t bet and nobody else had bet, but I was still charged.
“I feel betting companies and the practice of people being able to place bets on players moving clubs has to be stopped.”
The FA believed Sturridge should have had a six-month ban.
But that did not stop him moaning that the panel of three QCs had “overturned the original highly-qualified panel’s ruling”.
He was accused of providing information to family members about potential moves to Inter Milan, Sevilla, Newcastle and other clubs.
FA disciplinary chiefs used texts to brother Leon, cousin Athon and uncle Dean between January 9 and 16 2018, as part of their case.
The conversations took place when Sturridge was “at a crossroads”, although he actually stayed at Liverpool for another 18 months.
A number of bets were placed on his future, although there was “no direct evidence any of the bets placed were connected in any way to Sturridge or his family”.
Nevertheless, the appeal found the first commission “misapplied” FA rules “in relation to the use of inside information and made findings of fact which could not be sustained”.
In a statement, the FA said: “The Appeal Board agreed with the FA that the penalty originally imposed on Mr Sturridge was unduly lenient.
“It therefore increased his playing ban from two weeks to four months.
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“The Appeal Board also doubled the fine to £150,000.”
While the ban puts a huge question mark over Sturridge’s future, he is now free to join another club in the summer and potentially earn a big signing-on fee.
The striker scored seven goals in 16 games for Trabzonspor after joining them in August.