Suarez Hit With Six-Game Ban After Leagues Cup Final Chaos, Disciplinary Past Resurfaces
Inter Miami striker, Luis Suarez has been handed a six-match suspension following his involvement in violent scenes after last weekend’s Leagues Cup final defeat to the Seattle Sounders.
The 38-year-old Uruguay international was found guilty of spitting at a Sounders official after clashing with players and staff in Miami’s 3-0 loss.
Tournament disciplinary officials confirmed on Friday that the punishment will apply in next year’s Leagues Cup, though Major League Soccer (MLS) may impose additional sanctions.
Suarez was not the only player disciplined. His Miami teammates Sergio Busquets and Tomas Aviles received two and three-match bans respectively, while Seattle coaching staff member Steven Lenhart was suspended for five games.
The punishments stem from chaotic scenes at the final whistle.
Suarez was seen rushing at 20-year-old Seattle midfielder Obed Vargas, locking him in a headlock, before spitting at a Sounders security staffer as he was escorted away.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the former Barcelona and Liverpool star apologised for his actions.
“It was a moment of great tension and frustration… but that doesn’t justify the reaction I had,” Suarez wrote.
“I was wrong and I sincerely regret it… I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to apologise to everyone who felt hurt by what I did.”
The incident adds to Suarez’s long history of disciplinary controversies. He was banned for four months at the 2014 FIFA World Cup for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini, had previously been punished for other biting incidents during his club career, and served an eight-game suspension in England for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra in 2011.
He also drew global criticism at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa for a deliberate handball that denied Ghana a late winning goal in the quarter-final.
The latest suspension once again casts a spotlight on the fiery striker’s chequered career, raising questions about whether his temper will continue to overshadow his achievements on the pitch.
