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Luis Suárez gets a six-match Leagues Cup ban for spitting at a Seattle Sounders staffer after Inter Miami’s defeat. Sergio Busquets and Tomás Avilés are also suspended.
Inter Miami’s Luis Suarez made headlines for all the wrong reasons at the Leagues Cup final (X)
Inter Miami forward Luis Suárez has been suspended for six matches following his conduct during last weekend’s stormy Leagues Cup final defeat to the Seattle Sounders, tournament disciplinary officials confirmed on Friday.
The 38-year-old Uruguayan, who previously starred for Liverpool, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid, was sanctioned after cameras caught him spitting at a Sounders staff member in the aftermath of Miami’s 3-0 loss.
His ban will apply to next year’s edition of the Leagues Cup, though Major League Soccer reserved the right to issue additional punishment.
Other Suspensions Issued
Suárez was not the only player punished for the post-match melee. Inter Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets received a two-match ban, while defender Tomás Avilés was suspended for three games. On the Seattle side, coaching staff member Steven Lenhart was handed a five-match suspension.
The punishments follow chaotic scenes at Lumen Field, where Suárez first rushed at 20-year-old Obed Vargas, putting the Sounders midfielder in a headlock before tensions boiled over between both teams.
Suarez Issues Apology
Suárez addressed the incident in an Instagram post on Thursday, offering a public apology.
“It was a moment of great tension and frustration, where right after the match things happened that shouldn’t have happened, but that doesn’t justify the reaction I had,” Suárez wrote.
“I was wrong and I sincerely regret it… I feel bad about what happened, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to acknowledge it and apologize to everyone who felt hurt by what I did.”
A Troubled Disciplinary Record
The incident adds another chapter to Suárez’s long and controversial disciplinary history. He was banned from the 2014 World Cup after biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini, served multiple club-level suspensions for similar biting incidents, and in 2011 was given an eight-game ban in England for racially abusing Patrice Evra.
Suárez also drew global criticism at the 2010 World Cup when his deliberate handball on the goal line denied Ghana a late winning goal in the quarterfinals, eliminating the African side in one of the tournament’s most infamous moments.
(with agency inputs)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
September 06, 2025, 11:51 IST
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