Jaws III! England's nemesis Luis Suárez faces two-year ban after being charged by FIFA with biting an Italian defender

• Suárez was playing for Uruguay in closing minutes of match against Italy
• Footage appeared to show him biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini
• But referee did not caution him and Uruguay clinched win minutes later
• He has been charged by FIFA and could be banned for up to two years
• 27-year-old Suárez claimed after game: 'He thrust his shoulder into me'
• Chiellini, 29, claimed Suárez was a 'sneak' and bite was 'clear, clear cut'
• Last year he faced 10-match ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic
• In 2010 he was banned while playing for Ajax for a similar incident

Luis Suárez was  charged with biting an opponent in a World Cup Match, which could see him banned from football for up to two years if found guilty.

The Uruguayan forward is accused of sinking his jaws into the shoulder of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in Brazil, just 14 months after he had to apologise for doing the same thing in Britain.

Fifa’s disciplinary committee said this morning that it had opened proceedings against Liverpool player Suárez, and has asked his team to present evidence by 5pm local time (9pm BST) today.

A decision on whether he is guilty of 'assaulting an opponent' must be published before Saturday, when Uruguay plays Colombia in a Round of 16 matches.

FIFA's rules state that any ban could apply to all football matches - both international and domestic.

The clash last night in the sweltering Arena das Dunas in Natal, Brazil, came in the final 15 minutes of a tense decisive match between Italy and Uruguay.

Both teams were fighting for qualification for the next round and the score still stood at 0-0 in the final minutes.

27-year-old Suárez clashed with Italy's Chiellini, 29, with live footage showing him lean his head towards his opponent's shoulder.

Both players fell to the ground with Suárez clutching his infamous teeth while Chiellini gesticulated furiously and pulled down his shirt to show the point of impact.

Close-up images appeared to show the imprints of at least five teeth on Chiellini's naked shoulder.

But Liverpool FC star Suárez was not handed a yellow or red card - and minutes after the confrontation Uruguay went 1-0 up, winning the match and qualifying for the knockout stages.

Chiellini, who plays for Italian team Juventus, reacted furiously after the final whistle and insisted he had been bitten.

'These things happen on the pitch, and we don't have to give them so much (importance).'

'It is clear, clear-cut and then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn’t have done'

Italy's Giorgio Chiellini

Within minutes Suarez was Britain's quickest-trending phrase on Twitter as fans reacted with a collective groan.

The incident sparked a storm of debate on social media including among England fans, whose team Suárez helped boot out of the World Cup last week.

Instantly there were memes of the outspoken player concealed behind a dogs' veterinary collar, vampire fangs and a Hannibal Lecter-style mask.

Just 14 months ago Suárez spent 10 matches on the bench and apologised for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic in a 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Chelsea.

'I am deeply sorry for my inexcusable behaviour earlier today during our match against Chelsea,' he said at the time.

WORLD CUP RECORD BANS

If Suárez is found guilty he could be facing the longest ban in World Cup history.

At a maximum of 24 matches, it could far outstrip the eight-match ban handed to Italy's Mauro Tassotti for breaking Spain's Luis Enrique's nose in 1994 with an elbow.

Zinedine Zidane of France was also given a three-match ban for headbutting Marco Materazzi of Italy in the 2006 final.

Suárez has twice been banned for biting opponents. The first time was in 2010, when he was given a seven-game ban while playing for Ajax for biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal.

Italy needed only a draw to advance through to the knock-out stages in last night's match, while Uruguay needed a win to reach the last 16.

Both sides had chances from free kicks early on.

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon punched away the danger following an effort from Suárez after seven minutes, while Uruguay counterpart Fernando Muslera tipped over a shot directly on goal from Andrea Pirlo in the 12th.

Italy controlled much of the half with its passing accuracy in midfield while Uruguay relied on swift counterattacks and even attempted to surprise Buffon with shots from its own half.

Suárez also had an angled effort smothered by Buffon in the 33rd and a rebound effort from Nicolas Lodeiro was also stopped by the Italy captain.

 Footage of the showing Uruguay's Luis Suárez leaning in to bite the shoulder of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during a crucial World Cup clash in Natal, Brazil

Both men fell to the ground, with Chiellini clutching his shoulder and Suárez holding his teeth

Italy's Giorgio Chiellini looked outraged and showed the apparent point of impact on his shoulder

×