Giorgio Chiellini has sympathy for Luis Suarez, believing the punishment inflicted on the man who bit him is "excessive".

Uruguay striker Suarez, who sank his teeth into the shoulder of Italian defender Chiellini in the World Cup game between the two sides on Tuesday, has been given a nine-match international ban by Fifa.

Suarez will not be allowed to carry out any football-related activities for four months and was also fined £66,000.

However, Chiellini said in a statement on his official website, giorgiochiellini.com: “At the moment my only thought is for Luis and his family, because they will face a very difficult time.

“I have always considered unequivocal the disciplinary interventions by the competent bodies, but at the same time I believe that the proposed formula is excessive.”

Suarez has left Uruguay's national team in Brazil and returned home to Montevideo but Chiellini says the player should have been allowed to remain with his team-mates despite the punishment.

He continued: “I sincerely hope that he will be allowed, at least, to stay close to his team-mates during the games because such a ban is really alienating for a player.

“Now inside me there are no feelings of joy, revenge or anger against Suarez for an incident that happened on the pitch and that’s done. There only remains the anger and the disappointment about the match.”