Sturridge banned for 2 weeks for breaching betting rules

LONDON (AP) — Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has been handed a two-week suspension from domestic soccer matches in England for breaching betting rules, including giving inside information to his brother about a possible move to Sevilla.

An independent panel found Sturridge guilty of two of the 11 charges against him and dismissed the other nine.

Sturridge was fined 75,000 pounds ($92,000) and banned for six weeks, though four of them are suspended. The striker, who has played 26 times for England and was recently released by Liverpool, is free to play again on July 31.

The FA said it is appealing the findings as well as the sanctions handed to Sturridge, saying they are too lenient.

The panel found that, during the January transfer window in 2018, “Sturridge had instructed his brother, Leon, to bet on a possible move by him (Daniel) to Sevilla” and had therefore “provided his brother with inside information.”

Sturridge ended up moving to West Bromwich Albion on loan for the second half of the 2017-18 season.