Poker brand 888 has canceled its sponsorship deal with Uruguay striker Luis Suárez after he "was banned from all football-related activity for four months for biting an opponent during a World Cup match," according to REUTERS. Suárez "became one of the online gambling company’s brand ambassadors only last month." The company said, “888poker signed Luis Suárez following a fantastic season for which his achievements were widely recognised. Regrettably, following his actions during Uruguay’s World Cup match against Italy on Tuesday, 888poker has decided to terminate its relationship with Luis Suárez with immediate effect" (REUTERS, 6/27). In London, Roger Blitz wrote the move goes further than that of adidas, "which also sponsors the player." Adidas said that "it would not run any additional marketing campaigns featuring Suárez during the World Cup and warned him about the need to maintain high standards of behaviour." It said that "it would review their relationship after the tournament." Brand consultancy Synergy's Tim Crow indicated that adidas "is unlikely to ditch Suárez altogether." Crow: "Football thrives on controversy, it lives and breathes it and actively courts it. Suárez is one of the top footballers in the world. If adidas withdrew its sponsorship, one of its competitors would pick it up" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 6/27).
