Luis Suarez Ban Talks Planned with FIFA Ahead of Uruguay's Copa America Stint

Wilmar Valdez, president of the Uruguayan FA, has confirmed he plans to discuss Luis Suarez's nine-game international ban ahead of La Celeste's challenge for the 2015 Copa America.

Valdez recently explained to Sport 890 AM, via Sport, that "the Suarez thing is politically complicated. The idea is to speak with FIFA's legal advisers, but it is difficult to reverse."

Despite recently visiting FIFA President Sepp Blatter in Zurich "to touch on four of five important points," Valdez failed to disclose whether the conversation had turned toward Suarez's participation at next year's tournament in Chile.

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The prolific striker is currently serving a nine-game ban from competitive international football after biting Italian centre-back Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup. Suarez was also banned from club action for four months but now has over a month's play under his belt since returning in time for Barcelona's Clasico loss to Real Madrid.

He has provided four assists in as many La Liga fixtures since being brought into Luis Enrique's team, per WhoScored.com. On Tuesday, he netted his first competitive goal for the Blaugrana with a tasty turn and strike against Apoel in the Champions League.

Football commentator Ray Hudson noted his feelings about Suarez's opener:

Suarez scored 31 goals for Liverpool in the Premier League last season and showed his quality at the World Cup before the incident with Chiellini. He put England to the sword with a double in Brazil, but, as ever, controversy wasn't far away.

FIFA's ban reflected Suarez's third biting charge of his career. He received punishments while at Ajax and Liverpool for biting Otman Bakkal and Branislav Ivanovic in a similar manner.

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Uruguay face a difficult task to defend their continental crown next year after being drawn with World Cup finalists Argentina, Paraguay and Jamaica, per BBC Sport. Things will be a whole lot trickier without their most important player.

Suarez scored the opener in the 2011 final. He also netted against Peru in the group stage before sealing a brace against the same team in the semi-final. Only Paolo Guerrero ousted him as the tournament's top scorer, largely thanks to a hat-trick in Peru's third-place play-off against Venezuela.

Suarez's quality at the 2011 competition is highlighted below:

Uruguay are yet to play a competitive fixture since the World Cup, so even if they march all the way to the Copa America showpiece, Suarez will still be three games short of returning. 

They last defended their crown in 1987 but look unlikely to do so if Suarez's recently improved behaviour isn't (generously) rewarded with a shortened ban.

Considering the increased spotlight on ethics within FIFA right now—centred around allegations of bribery that reportedly allowed Russia and Qatar to secure the 2018/2022 World Cup hosting rights—it's unlikely the governing body will fold under pressure from Uruguayan officials.