Luis Suarez fans flocked to Carrasco International Airport near Montevideo to greet the arrival of the banned striker back in Uruguay.
Having been handed a nine-game international ban and four-month suspension from all football, Suarez travelled back to Uruguay and left the World Cup squad.
Supporters turned out in force to greet the Liverpool striker in Uruguay, with some wearing masks in tribute to their star man.
Uruguayan President Jose Mujica was at the international airport at one point, but returned home because Suarez’s flight was delayed.
Because of the delay, the crowd of about 1,000 fans were moved from the airport terminal to an adjacent air force base to await Suarez’s arrival.
Suarez was earlier seen with the rest of the team in Rio as they were pictured arriving at their hotel.
Uruguay face Colombia in an all South American last 16 clash, but they will have to make do without Suarez for that game and the rest of the tournament.
The Uruguayan Football Association are preparing an appeal against the severity of the sentence, which also includes a £64,000 fine. But there is no chance of Suarez appearing at Brazil 2014 again and his future at Liverpool is also plunged into uncertainty through the length of the suspension.
FIFA’s strict regulations barring him from any involvement in football mean he cannot even watch Liverpool or Uruguay in action — he is banned from football stadiums and must train alone away from Liverpool’s Melwood training ground.
Suarez can be sold during his spell in football exile — a strong possibility — but cannot personally join in negotiations in mooted moves to Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Liverpool are taking specialist legal advice before deciding what to do about Suarez — a world-class footballer who comes with more baggage than any other elite star. Given the length of his ban, Liverpool, who have not been contacted by FIFA or the Uruguay FA, feel aggrieved to be punished for something in which they had no part. The news was greeted with dismay by the club’s owners in Boston.
