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Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez quit FIFA's strategic committee in protest at the ban football's governing body imposed on his team's star striker Luis Suarez for biting an Italian player.
Tabarez used the mandatory pre-match media event to make an often rambling 15-minute speech with no mention of the game today, when Uruguay faces Colombia in the Round of 16.
In his monologue, Tabarez blamed English-speaking media for creating pressure on the FIFA disciplinary panel to punish Suarez. He hinted that Uruguay, perhaps as a small country, was being singled out.
"It is not wise, at least it is not prudent to be in an organization with people who exerted pressure in order to promote this decision," Tabarez said.
He said those who punished Suarez had "values that are very different from those that I believe I have." FIFA's panel banned Suarez for nine international matches and four months for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini in a group-stage match on Tuesday. Uruguay won 1-0 to advance.
It's the third time Suarez has been punished for biting an opposing player on the field -- the previous two suspensions were imposed by the Dutch and English leagues.
Tabarez said Suarez was being made a "scapegoat." "Who wins, who loses? Who benefits, who is harmed? Who ended up getting things their way?" the coach said in Spanish.
Tabarez said Uruguay's staff and players had been expecting some action against Suarez but were stunned by the severity.
"We never thought or expected what we found out when we were told about the details of the punishment, of an excessive severity," he said.
"The decision was much more focused on the opinions of the media, and that media attacked immediately at the conclusion of the match. ... I don't know what their nationality was, but they all spoke English.
