According to Simon Jordan, former Liverpool man Daniel Sturridge should be banned from football permanently. The 51 year old former chairman of Crystal Palace has backed the Football Association’s (FA) decision to appeal against the England international’s punishment for breaching betting rules.
The 29 year old attacker was given a £75,000 fine, along with a six-week ban, out of which four were suspended after a hearing by an independent regulatory commission. The FA had suggested that they would push for a tougher punishment in this case, as the player had used ‘cynical determination’ to help others make bets.
They were keen on at least ensuring that the player would get a six-month ban, which would justify the gravity of the situation and prevent other stars from doing the same. Nine out of a total eleven charges were dismissed, which meant that the player would have to pay out just a week’s worth of his wages at Anfield, while he could resume playing football from the 31st of July.
This did not go down with a lot of people, including Jordan, who stated that this act goes against the entire “integrity” of football and that the player should be banned for life. He spoke about the matter on Friday’s Jim White show and stated, “It goes to the integrity of the sport. It is beyond reproach and there can be no justification for it.”
“I think the FA are absolutely right – they should throw the book at this kid!”
“The fact he is allegedly providing information to a member of his family about a loan move… I know it is allegedly because we are not across the facts, but there is some element of people taking this seriously. He is either guilty or he is not guilty, and if he is been found guilty he should be hit with the hardest and most strident penalties that take him out of football for a far longer period of time than two weeks.”
When further asked what the punishment fitting for such a crime should be, Jordan added,: “In my view, I think people like that who are found guilty should be banned for life. They are compromising the integrity of the sport. In this instance I think he is breaching the covenant, the undertaking, the unwritten understanding that sport has integrity. And if he is doing that he should suffer the consequences of it, for the love of God!”
“I have always thought fining people money was some sort of draconian thing only related to football. There should be consequences, and the biggest consequence is you no longer get to participate in this sport.”
“You have compromised the values of this sport, and for that, that is your lot. Everybody knows you cannot give somebody an inside indication of your move, or the events unfolding ahead of a game.”
Well, for now Sturridge is safe and is trying to focus on things ahead, as he has already left Anfield and is looking for a new club. He may want to stay back in England, though this issue may see him leave and move to another country for some time and ply his trade there. With the FA looking quite serious and pushing for a long-term ban (6 month or more), the player could be in trouble in the long-run, as he may miss a major part of the next season.
As it is, his future does not look certain, with regards to which club he will be at next term. However, there are strong links, claiming that he will be moving to Italy, with Inter Milan considering signing him, if their move for Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku fails. Only time will tell, how things will end in this case.
