FA betting rule breaches

The former England team striker Daniel Sturridge got hit with a four-month ban from soccer after breaching the Football Association’s (FA) betting rules. The penalty will prevent him from partaking in all forms of soccer activity until June 17, 2020. 

During summer 2019, an independent commission banned Sturridge from the sport for six weeks, four of which were suspended. The FA decided to appeal the decision, pushing for stricter disciplinary action. The association’s appeal was successful, resulting in the four-month ban.

The financial penalty that was part of the original punishment was also doubled. Sturridge will now have to pay a fine worth ￡150,000 ($191,000). 

The offenses in question

The betting offenses that led to Sturridge’s ban from soccer activity involved family members placing bets on the former Liverpool striker joining Sevilla in Spain during the transfer window. 

family members placing bets on the former Liverpool striker joining Sevilla in Spain

Sturridge faced numerous charges relating to him allegedly passing on insider information to his relatives regarding a potential transfer during the January 2018 window. Sturridge denied the accusations, calling the FA’s case “overblown and misconceived” and claiming that text messages sent to his brother were innocent.

The FA issued a statement on the successful appeal. It said the appeals board ruled that the independent commission had “misapplied rules in relation to the use of inside information and made findings of fact which could not be sustained.” The board also proved two of the charges that were originally dismissed. 

The striker reacts to the ban

After the announcement of the ban, the 30-year-old’s soccer club in Turkey, Trabzonspor, terminated Sturridge’s contract by mutual agreement.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, the player said this was a “disappointing and upsetting” decision that would bring his season to a close. He added that he has struggled to concentrate on soccer over the last couple of years, with the matter hanging over him. 

Sturridge is calling for changes that would end the close links between the betting industry and soccer. He feels the ability to bet on players transferring to other clubs should be stopped.

Sturridge’s career

Sturridge was a key player for Liverpool FC and the England soccer team for a number of seasons before a number of injuries stymied his career. In June 2019, he left Liverpool after his contract ended. Playing for Trabzonspor in Turkey, Sturridge managed to score seven times in the 16 appearances he made for the side. 

He has not played for England since coming on as a sub in a World Cup qualification game in October 2017 against Lithuania. To date, he has played 26 times for England, scoring eight times.