Luis Suarez bites Giorgio Chiellini during World Cup game

Uruguay’s striker Luis Suarez appeared to bite Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during their Group D clash at the World Cup tournament in Brazil.

Luis Suarez pushed his head towards Giorgio Chiellini in the penalty area just before Diego Godin’s Uruguay winner.

Giorgio Chiellini pulled his shirt down to show the referee an apparent mark on his shoulder made during the clash.

“It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off. It is clear, clear-cut,” Giorgio Chiellini told Italian television station Rai TV.

“Then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn’t have done.”

After the clash between the players, Luis Suarez, 27, went to ground holding his mouth, apparently suggesting he had been elbowed.

As the Italian ran after referee Marco Rodriguez, Uruguay forward Gaston Ramirez attempted to get Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini, 29, to cover his shoulder.

Luis Suarez has twice been banned for biting and, at the 2010 World Cup, committed a handball on the line to stop Ghana from scoring.

FIFA will wait to receive the referee’s report. The disciplinary committee of world football’s governing is responsible for “sanctioning serious infringements which have escaped the match officials’ attention”.

Any suspension could range from “up to three matches or up to two months”.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez tried to play down the incident and believes there is a vendetta from certain media towards Luis Suarez.

“I’d like to see the images first before making any comment. If it happened, then the referee probably didn’t see it,” said Oscar Tabarez.

“Despite mistakes Suarez has made, he is the target of certain media, a certain press.”

Italy manager Cesare Prandelli said he was resigning after the defeat by Uruguay, which eliminated his side from the tournament in Brazil.

“I didn’t see the images of Suarez but I did see the bite marks in Chiellini’s shoulder,” said Cesare Prandelli.

Liverpool’s Luis Suarez was banned for 10 games for biting Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League match in April 2013.

Luis Suarez was also banned for seven games for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal’s shoulder while Ajax captain in 2010.