Former Manchester City forward Daniel Sturridge has been handed a worldwide football ban until June and fined £150,000 after being found guilty of breaching the FA's gambling regulations.
Sturridge, who had his contract terminated at Turkish side Trabzonspor on Monday morning, was initially handed a two-week ban and given a £75,000 fine in July after a regulatory commission ruled that he had provided his brother with "inside information" over a bet regarding his possible transfer to Sevilla.
But the Football Association felt the decision to be too lenient and lodged an appeal. An independent appeal board has now found that the regulatory commission misapplied the FA's rules and found proven two further charges against Sturridge which were originally dismissed.
"Daniel Sturridge has been suspended from all football and football-related activity from today until the end of 17 June 2020," said an FA statement on Monday.
"Following an appeal by the FA of the previous findings of the independent regulatory commission in this case, an independent appeal board has found that the regulatory commission misapplied the FA's rules in relation to the use of inside information and made findings of fact which could not be sustained.
"As a result, the appeal board has found proven two further charges which were originally dismissed. Other factual findings of the regulatory commission were left undisturbed.
"In relation to the sanction, the appeal board agreed with the FA that the penalty originally imposed on Mr Sturridge was unduly lenient and therefore increased his effective playing ban from two weeks to four months. The appeal board also doubled the fine to £150,000.
"FIFA has confirmed that the suspension will be of worldwide effect."
