Luis Suarez has been banned for six matches following a post-game altercation in which he spat at a Seattle Sounders coach after Inter Miami’s 3-0 defeat in the Leagues Cup final on Sunday.
The 37-year-old striker, who has long carried a reputation for controversy despite his illustrious career, was reported by match officials after clashing with Sounders staff and players at full time. Tournament organisers confirmed on Thursday that Luis Suarez will serve a six-match suspension in Leagues Cup play, ruling him out of next season’s competition and potentially into the following year, depending on Miami’s progress. He was also fined.
The disciplinary panel also handed suspensions to three others involved in the melee. Miami teammates Sergio Busquets and Tomás Avilés received two and three-game bans respectively, while Sounders assistant coach Steven Lenhart was suspended for five matches. All four individuals were cited for violent conduct.
In a statement, Inter Miami condemned the incident, insisting: “These actions do not reflect the values of our sport, and we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of sportsmanship both on and off the pitch.” Major League Soccer is still reviewing the matter and could impose additional sanctions that affect domestic league play.
Luis Suarez, meanwhile, issued a public apology via Instagram. “I want to apologise for my behaviour at the end of the match,” he wrote in Spanish. “It was a very tense and frustrating moment. Things happened right after the match that shouldn’t have happened, but that doesn’t justify my reaction. I was wrong and I sincerely regret it. It’s not the image I want to portray, neither to my family, who are suffering because of my mistakes, nor to my club, which doesn’t deserve to be affected by something like this.”
The incident adds another chapter to Suárez’s long list of controversies. His career has already been marked by several high-profile bans: a two-match suspension for biting PSV’s Otman Bakkal in 2010, an infamous handball against Ghana at the World Cup the same year, an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra in 2011, a 10-match suspension for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanović in 2013, and a four-month ban after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup.
Miami, who want to build on their illustrious roster and extend their success outside of MLS, considers it a major setback.
