STURRIDGE ‘GUTTED’ AT FOUR-MONTH BAN
DANIEL STURRIDGE has been banned from football worldwide for four months after the FA successfully appealed against the terms of his original suspension. The former England forward agreed to terminate his contract with Turkish side Trabzonspor yesterday when he discovered that, with immediate effect, he would not be allowed to play or be involved in any football activity until June 17. Sturridge (left), whose former clubs include Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, had initially been given a two-week ban last summer, having breached the FA’s strict rules on betting. He had been charged over betting incidents in
January 2018 when he left Anfield on loan. The FA were never happy with the punishment at the time, since Sturridge did not miss any football. Following an appeal to an independent board, it was deemed that a regulatory commission had ‘misapplied the FA’s rules in relation to the use of inside information’. Sturridge posted a two-minute video on YouTube to explain his devastation at the turn of events. Aside from the extension of his suspension, he was fined £150,000. In a statement, the FA said: ‘In relation to the sanction, the appeal board agreed with the FA that the penalty originally imposed on Mr Sturridge was unduly lenient and therefore increased his effective playing ban from two weeks to four months.’ The case became public in November 2018, when Sturridge was charged. Though it was clear the 30-year-old had never placed a bet himself, members of his inner circle had gambled on which club he would join when Liverpool allowed him to pursue a loan. The FA had been investigating Sturridge (left) for eight months before that, but were left frustrated after a three-day hearing when it was announced on July 18 that he would only have to serve a two-week ban. Sturridge said: ‘It’s very disappointing to hear the appeal overturned the original and highly-qualified ruling. I am absolutely devastated and gutted that my season is over.’
BLACKPOOL have lured Liverpool Under 23 boss Neil Critchley as their new manager on a three-year deal. Jurgen Klopp has twice handed the reins to the 41-year-old in domestic cup competitions this season, when the club fielded youthful squads. Blackpool are 13th in League One and Critchley said: ‘I got a really good feeling about the people, where they want the club to go and how they want it to grow.’