MAJOR League Soccer has suspended Inter Miami star Luis Suarez for three matches following a spitting incident after the Leagues Cup final defeat to Seattle Sounders.
The 38-year-old former Uruguay, Liverpool and Barcelona forward will miss Miami’s regular-season fixtures against Charlotte, Seattle, and DC United this month.
This MLS sanction follows the Leagues Cup’s separate six-match tournament ban issued three days earlier for the same incident involving a Sounders official.
MLS also revoked credential rights for Seattle staff member Steven Lenhart for the remainder of the season and playoffs while fining the Sounders an undisclosed amount for credential misappropriation.
Inter Miami currently occupies sixth position in the Eastern Conference with 46 points, trailing leaders Philadelphia by 11 points but holding four games in hand.
The Leagues Cup disciplinary committee confirmed that Suarez’s suspension would only apply to next year’s edition of the MLS-Liga MX competition.
Suarez’s teammate Sergio Busquets received a two-match Leagues Cup ban while Miami’s Tomas Aviles was barred from three tournament matches alongside Lenhart’s five-game suspension.
During the August 31 final, Suarez initiated a confrontation by rushing at Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas and placing him in a headlock, sparking a mass altercation involving players and staff from both clubs.
Television footage subsequently captured Suarez spitting toward a Seattle staff member as he walked away from the initial incident.
This disciplinary action adds to Suarez’s history of suspensions for biting opponents and racial abuse during his extensive professional career.
Suarez issued a public apology last Thursday, acknowledging his inappropriate reaction while expressing regret for his actions.
He described the incident as a moment of great tension and frustration where things happened that shouldn’t have occurred after the match.
The veteran striker admitted he was wrong and sincerely regretted his behaviour while apologising to everyone hurt by his actions. – AFP
