Uruguay captain Diego Lugano has described Luis Suarez's four-month footballing ban as 'barbaric', saying the sanction breaches the 27-year-old's human rights.
Former West Bromwich Albion defender Lugano, who missed Uruguay's last-16 defeat to Colombia with injury, has been vocal in his support for the Liverpool striker since he was found guilty of biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini.
Suarez received a record ban from Fifa as a result of the incident, with the forward being unable to enter a football stadium, or even train with his Uruguay or Liverpool teammates for four months.
And Lugano says Los Charrúas were unable to replace their big-name striker as they bowed out of the tournament on Saturday night.
"It's a breach of human rights that a player cannot go into a stadium where there are 80,000 people or into a hotel with his teammates, that he cannot work for four months," Lugano said.
"He has committed a crime, but this is barbarity. Not even a criminal would receive this penalty.
"He is irreplaceable - against Colombia we weren't able to replace the skills he has.
"For years he has been our best player. Uruguay losing Suarez is much worse even than Brazil losing Neymar or Argentina losing Messi."
Suarez was back at his home in Montevideo as his countrymen lost out to two moments of magic from Colombia's James Rodriguez.
Lugano, meanwhile, managed to pick up his second yellow card of the tournament despite not even being on the field – the defender protesting Pablo Armero's challenge on Maxi Pereira slightly too vigorously for referee Bjorn Kuipers' liking.
And with hundreds of fans welcoming Suarez back to Uruguay, the shamed striker appeared on the balcony of his house and unfurled a banner bearing the names of his two children, before waving to the gathered crowd.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez attempted to play down Suarez's absence as the reason for his side's defeat, but claimed the harshness of the ban spurred his players towards trying to get a positive result.
"When he was no longer with us, that was the end of that," said Tabarez. "We accepted he was suspended.
"I think that generated a lot of strength and willingness to get a result.
"Suarez is very important to us. I don't have to say that, but we knew that he was not going to play.
"We knew that Colombia have individual players that contribute a lot to their team play.
"We have to accept the defeat and hope that they do well as a fellow South American country.
"The only thought is that I'm very proud of the men that make up the national squad of Uruguay. They've given their all."
