The Liverpool star has been suspended from all football-related activity for four months for sinking his teeth into Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder

Luis Suarez’s father, Rodolfo, says his family have struggled to sleep amidst the controversy surrounding the Uruguay striker’s ignominious World Cup exit.

The Liverpool forward was suspended for nine international matches and banned from all football-related activity for four months after being found guilty of biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.

The 27-year-old has now returned to Uruguay to be with his family, who have been left in a state of shock by the whole affair, according to Suarez’s father.

“We are tired, as we did not sleep all night,” Rodolfo Suarez told La FM on Saturday. “We are very hurt by this issue.

“Ask Fifa how we are. It’s painful. Put yourself in our place. With what has happened to us, we do not want to talk to anybody.”

Despite the suspension, Suarez is still being linked with a summer switch to Barcelona.

The nation’s football association posted a picture on Twitter which shows the banned player’s jersey hung up in the changing area as normal

Uruguay have put Luis Suarez’s shirt up in their dressing room ahead of their World Cup second round tie with Colombia.

The striker was sent home from the tournament and banned from all football-related activity for four months after he bit Giorgio Chiellini during his side’s 1-0 win over Italy, which saw them progress to the knockout stages.

The Uruguay Football Association have given Suarez their support following the incident, however, and have even put his shirt up inside the changing room as they prepare to take on their South American rivals on Saturday.

The association posted a picture of the dressing room on their Twitter account, saying: “Jerseys of the team in the Maracana. The place of Luis Suarez is intact. Let’s go Uruguay!”

Vestuario de la @AUFseleccion en Maracaná. El lugar de Luis Suárez intacto. ¡Vamos Uruguay! pic.twitter.com/ul19EkqshF

— AUFseleccion (@AUFseleccion) June 28, 2014

The Liverpool striker has stressed in his official defence to Fifa that he never had any intention to bite the Italy centre-back

Uruguay attacker Luis Suarez has claimed that he did not deliberately bite Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during their Group D encounter on June 24.

Referee Marco Rodriguez failed to spot the incident in the 79th minute of Tuesday’s match, but Fifa opened an investigation into the incident after video footage showed the Liverpool forward’s teeth making contact with Chiellini’s shoulder.

When asked by Fifa’s Disciplinary Committee to give his stance on the incident, Suarez wrote that he never intended to bite the Italy defender, but that the incident was the result of a set of unfortunate events.

“In no way [did] it happen how you have described, as a bite or intent to bite,” read Suarez’s official defence to Fifa, according to AP.

“After the impact … I lost my balance, making my body unstable and [making me] fall on top of my opponent.

“At that moment I hit my face against the player leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth.”

Fifa’s Disciplinary Committee eventually handed the 27-year-old a heavy ban as they decided the attacker’s bite was “deliberate, intentional and without provocation”.

Suarez was handed a nine-game ban from international football, while he was also suspended from taking part in any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four months and fined €82.000.

The Uruguayan FA revealed immediately after Fifa’s decision was announced that they would appeal the ban.

Meanwhile, Suarez took to social networking website Twitter to thank those who had sent him messages of support.

“Hi all, I write this post to give thanks to [sic] the outpouring of support and love I am receiving. Both myself and my family really appreciate it,” wrote the striker.

“Thank you very much for being by my side and I want you all today to support my fellow team-mates for the match against Colombia.”