Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge could be facing a fine and a lengthy ban for breaching the FA rules on gambling.
After an investigation, the FA has found Daniel Sturridge guilty of betting on football in January of 2018.
Daniel Sturridge denied the charges. However, he was still charged with misconduct and violation of the rule. The 29 year old allegedly placed bets on player transfers and manager ins and outs using a third party.
If social media speculation is to be believed, the third party in question is Sturridge’s cousin.
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Such is the seriousness of the offense, any resulting ban could end his career in professional football. Although, the extent of the punishment won’t be determined until his exact transgressions are revealed.
Last month, a Liverpool spokesperson released a statement outlining Sturridge’s denial. Sturridge himself was given an opportunity to respond to the allegations, although he missed the November 20th deadline.
The striker asked the FA to extend this deadline, and it is not yet known how much time he has been given, if any.
The rules Sturridge allegedly violated is Rule E8(1)(a)(ii) and Rule E8(1)(b) of the FA. These two rules exist to ensure that active football players do not participate in football gambling in any way. These includes using third parties to bet and providing information to third parties.
They also exist to stop players revealing sensitive information. So, in this case, Sturridge is guilty of using information he gained “by virtue of his position” to gamble. This is an offense as it would have been information not available to the public at the time.
Sturridge is enjoying something of a comeback season. After a career ravaged by injury, he is fulfilling a super sub or cameo role for Liverpool. A slew of fantastic and vital goals, notably against PSG in the Champions League, underlines his enduring quality.
However, no one seriously believes that he is going to become a regular at Liverpool, and perhaps not anywhere else due to his fitness concerns.
