Beckenbauer says Suarez ban 'more than justified'

Beckenbauer says in a World Cup column for dpa global media service the bite was "virtually unbelievable, and I had to look at the replay three times to believe it."

Suarez was Thursday banned for nine international games and suspended from all football for four months by world governing body FIFA as a result of the incident in Tuesday in Natal. Uruguay beat Italy to send the 2006 world champions out of the tournament.

"The draconian ban imposed on Suarez is more than justified," Beckenbauer said.

The 1974 World Cup winner as player and 1990 winner as coach said that "even I, who thought had seen just about everything, am always surprised by something new."

He added: "I have never seen how a player can so brutally bite an opponent the way Uruguay's Luis Suarez did against Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini."

Beckenbauer said he believed the incident would end hopes the 27-year-striker might have had for a move from Liverpool to Real Madrid or Barcelona.