Giorgio Chiellini posts picture of hotel maid biting him like Luis Suarez

Giorgio Chiellini was furious after Luis Suarez appeared to bite him on Tuesday

But he saw the funny side when a maid pretended to do the same

Suarez is expected to discover his fate on Thursday

Uruguay striker could be banned for up to two years

Giorgio Chiellini may have been furious with Luis Suarez after the Uruguay forward appeared to bite his shoulder on Tuesday, but the Italian defender can now see the funny side.

The Juventus centre back was incensed when no action was taken by the referee as Italy were knocked out of the World Cup in Brazil.

But he has now posted a picture of a hotel maid biting his shoulder in much the same way as Suarez while Brazil striker Fred was snapped pretending to bite team-mate Marcelo's arm in training.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Neymar watches Fred doing a 'Suarez' on Marcelo in Brazil training



Humour: Giorgio Chiellini is bitten on the shoulder by a hotel maid as he sees the funny side Copycat: Fred pretends to bite Brazil team-mate Marcelo's arm in training

After the match, which Uruguay won 1-0, Chiellini said: ''It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off.

'It is clear, clear-cut and then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn’t have done.

'Suarez is a sneak and he gets away with it because FIFA want their stars to play in the World Cup.

'I'd love to see if they have the courage to use video evidence against him. The referee saw the bite mark too, but he did nothing about it.'

Meanwhile, FIFA's disciplinary hearing into the incident will continue on Thursday morning, according to the head of the Uruguay Football Association.

The independent disciplinary committee met until late into the night without coming to a verdict on the case of the Liverpool striker who has been charged with misconduct.

Step 1: Suarez approaches Chiellini from behind during a Uruguay attack

Stage 2: The Liverpool striker moves his head close to Chiellini's shoulder as he prepares to attack Stage 3: Suarez appears to clamp his jaws down and bite Chiellini's shoulder VIDEO Suarez in another bite storm

Uruguay FA president Wilmar Valdez emerged from the Copacabana Palace hotel in Rio de Janeiro shortly after midnight local time to say the hearing would continue on Thursday.

Valdez said: 'We know they met for a long time but we don't know if that means a good or a bad situation. They will continue in the morning.'

Suarez's lawyer Alejandro Balbi, who is also a Uruguay FA board member travelled to Rio to defend the Liverpool striker and claimed there is a European campaign against him led by England and Italy.

An outcome is expected well ahead of Uruguay's match with Italy on Saturday and Suarez's sponsors including adidas are keeping a close eye on the verdict.

The video evidence appears damning and one senior FIFA official with experience of disciplinary cases, who asked to remain anonymous, believes the biting should be judged to be at least as serious as spitting, which carries a minimum six-game ban which would see Suarez's World Cup brought to an abrupt halt.

However there are influential voices who are trying to bring pressure to bear for the player to be dealt with more leniently. According to Uruguay newspaper Subrayado, the most powerful figures in South American football gathered in the Copacabana Palace to try to secure a much less severe sanction.

Shocking: Chiellini displays bite marks on his shoulder after the incident, but the referee wasn't swayed

These included Argentina's long-standing vice-president Julio Grondona who is second only to Sepp Blatter in the pecking order, the president of CONMEBOL Eugenio Figueredo and his predecessor, Nicolas Leoz, who are both Uruguayan.

The independent disciplinary panel, chaired by Swiss lawyer Claudio Sulser, has a range of sanctions available up to 24-match ban or a two-year suspension from all football. A worldwide ban would impact on his playing for Liverpool but there is no precedent for such a sanction happening.

It remains unclear whether Suarez's previous biting bans - 10 games for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic and seven matches for biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal - would be taken into consideration, but the panel do have that power if they wish.

A FIFA spokeswoman said: 'They can take in all elements they deem necessary.' Suarez has not appeared in person at the disciplinary hearing.

There are also reports that the Uruguay FA are claiming pictures of teeth-marks on Chiellini's shoulder were digitally altered.



Trouble ahead: FIFA will continue to discuss disciplinary proceedings against Luis Suarez on Thursday VIDEO Suarez hands Liverpool problem



