The Court of Arbitration for Sport has upheld Luis Suarez's four-month playing ban by FIFA but has cleared him to train and play in friendlies with Barcelona.
CAS upheld Luis Suarez' ban but he is allowed to train and play in friendlies
It means the Uruguay striker will serve the four-month ban but can now train and play in friendly matches, including for new club Barcelona on Monday against Mexico's Club Leon Guanajuato on Monday.
However, Suarez will still miss Barcelona's first eight league matches of the new season, plus their first three group games in the Champions League. He could make his La Liga debut against Real Madrid on Sunday, October 26.
Suarez was appealing his suspension from all football activity, a sanction imposed by FIFA after the striker bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's 1-0 World Cup victory on June 24.
A full explanation of the Cas ruling will be published at a later date.
A statement from CAS read: "The sanctions imposed on the player by FIFA have been generally confirmed. However, the four-month suspension will apply to official matches only and no longer to other football-related activities (such as training, promotional activities and administrative matters)."
"The CAS Panel found that the sanctions imposed on the player were generally proportionate to the offence committed.
"It has however considered that the stadium ban and the ban from "any football-related activity" were excessive given that such measures are not appropriate to sanction the offence committed by the player and would still have an impact on his activity after the end of the suspension."
CAS Secretary General Matthieu Reeb told Sky Sports News HQ: “The suspension has been adapted – it will now only apply to official matches and no longer to other football related activities such as training or promotional events.
“It is my understanding that friendlies are not considered official matches in accordance with FIFA regulations.
“The FIFA decision probably went a little too far – the player being unable to train would probably be effective for longer than four months so the panel thought it was fair to limit the ban so that he can be ready to play at the end of October.”
World players' union Fifpro said it was "disappointed that the court had decided not to strongly diminish the sanctions" and "remain of the view the current sanctions are disproportionate in relation to his violation of the Fifa disciplinary code".
Suarez will still serve the remaining eight matches of a record nine-match international ban handed down by the world governing body after the Brazil 2014 group match on 24 June.
Suarez will now also be available for Uruguay's upcoming friendlies against Japan and South Korea in September and Saudi Arabia the following month.
Cas said: "The sanctions imposed on the player by Fifa have been generally confirmed."
But the court said preventing Suarez from taking part in any football activity was "excessive", as not allowing him to train would have an impact on the player after the suspension had ended.
Suarez's legal team said the appeal was a success, arguing Fifa had "misapplied its own rules when considering the case and the sanction it imposed was disproportionate".
Although they confirmed the possibility of appealing against the Cas decision at the Swiss Supreme Court, the grounds for appeal are "very restricted".
Barcelona paid Liverpool £75m for Suarez after he received his original worldwide ban. He was also handed a nine-match international ban and £66,000 fine following the incident; those punishments still stand.
His legal team argued that as the incident took place while the striker was playing for his country the sanctions should be limited to international football.
The three-man panel of CAS arbitrators consisted of the president, Mr Bernhard Welten from Switzerland, his compatriot Dr Marco Balmelli and Professor Luigi Fumagalli from Italy.
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