Suarez given 10-match ban

Luis Suarez has been banned for 10 matches for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic, the Football Association has announced.

The sanction was imposed by an independent regulatory commission on a charge of violent conduct against the Liverpool striker.

An FA statement said: "A three-person independent regulatory commission today upheld the FA's claim that a suspension of three matches was clearly insufficient and the player will serve a further seven first-team matches in addition to the standard three. The suspension begins with immediate effect."

Suarez has until midday on Friday to appeal the additional suspension.

In a statement, Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre said the club was "shocked and disappointed" by the suspension.

"Both the club and player are shocked and disappointed at the severity of today's Independent Regulatory Commission decision," said managing director Ian Ayre.

"We await the written reasons tomorrow before making any further comment."

The 10-game ban is harsher than the eight-match suspension handed to Suarez in December 2011 for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra, and significantly more than the four-game ban given to Chelsea captain John Terry last year for racist abuse.

QPR midfielder Joey Barton was given a 12-game ban last season, for a red card and violent conduct towards three players.

In 2006, the FA banned Manchester City's Ben Thatcher for eight matches for an elbow incident that left Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes unconscious.