Barcelona deny any 'bite clause' in Luis Suarez contract

New Delhi: Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has categorically denied the presence of a `no biting` clause in Luis Suarez`s contract. The Uruguayan striker is currently serving a four-month ban after he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a 2014 World Cup match.

Bartomeu said that, "There is no (bite) clause. If the clause did exist we wouldn`t say it, but it doesn`t exist. We didn`t rethink the decision (to sign him) and we told Luis that after the bite. He knows he did wrong and apologised. That`s very important for us."

Suarez, 27, joined the Catalan gaints from Anfield last month for a reported 94 million euros but is yet to unveiled due to the FIFA ban. He cannot train with his new Barca team-mates and could not is banned from entering the Nou Camp until his suspension lapses. The former Liverpool star`s ban could yet be reduced subject to an appeal lodged with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Before the Chiellini incident, the former Ajax striker had previously bitten Otman Bakkal and Branislav Ivanovic during his stay in the Netherlands and England respectively. Regarding the possible recurrence of biting, Bartomeu said that "We cannot talk about something that could happen or not. We don`t know. What we know is that we accept this responsibility and we also want this responsibility of bringing Luis Suarez to the family of football."