Suarez appeals to CAS against four-month FIFA footballing ban

Barcelona's new signing Luis Suarez has appealed to the Court of Arbitration (CAS) on Friday against his four-month ban from all football related activity, which FIFA imposed on him for biting during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Suarez and his legal team spent five hours before a three-man CAS appeal panel in Lausanne in an attempt to reduce the suspension, covering all football activity. The Uruguayan striker bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini's shoulder during a World Cup group game in Natal last month.

It was the third time that Suarez had committed a similar offense and it drew an immediate response from football's world governing body, CNN reported.

Uruguay lost its last 16 match to Colombia after Suarez was banned and they were knocked out of the World Cup. Despite the punishment, it did not stop Spanish giants Barcelona from signing Suarez from English Premier League Liverpool in a 127 million dollars deal last month.

Suarez's connections are hopeful of cutting his ban by two months, meaning that he would be available to make his Barcelona debut by the end of the month.

The CAS said that it would issue its decision as soon as possible, probably before the end of next week.