Luis Suarez has been banned for six matches after spitting at a Seattle Sounders official following Inter Miami’s 3-0 defeat in the Leagues Cup final last weekend. The punishment was announced by the tournament’s disciplinary committee on Friday.
The 38-year-old former Uruguay, Liverpool and Barcelona striker got involved in a fight after the final whistle and was seen spitting at a Seattle security staff member. The ban will apply to next year’s Leagues Cup, but Major League Soccer has said it may take further action.
Suarez’s teammate Sergio Busquets was also given a two-match ban, while Tomas Aviles received a three-match suspension. Seattle staff member Steven Lenhart was banned for five matches.
The incident happened just after the final ended, when Suarez rushed at young Seattle midfielder Obed Vargas and put him in a headlock. That sparked a brawl involving players and staff from both sides.
Although officials tried to calm things down, Suarez was later caught on camera spitting as he walked away.
Suarez later apologised, saying the situation was tense but that his actions were still wrong. He admitted he made a mistake and said he regretted what had happened.
This isn’t the first time Suarez has faced disciplinary problems. He was famously banned from the 2014 World Cup for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini and has also been punished for biting in club football. In 2011, he received an eight-game ban in England for racially abusing Patrice Evra. He was also involved in a controversial handball that denied Ghana a winning goal at the 2010 World Cup.
