Luis Suarez has issued a public apology after he spat at a member of the Seattle Sounders’ coaching staff during Inter Miami’s 3-0 defeat in the Leagues Cup final.
The altercation occurred moments after the final whistle in a match marked by frustration, with tempers boiling over.
A scuffle broke out involving players from both teams, with Suarez initially at the center of the confrontation.
The 38-year-old forward was seen grabbing Seattle midfielder Obed Vargas by the neck, before Miami team-mate Sergio Busquets struck Vargas on the chin.
Luis Suarez couldn't contain his anger after Inter Miami's 3-0 defeat to the Seattle Sounders | GETTY
Shortly afterward, Suarez was restrained by goalkeeper Oscar Ustari as he exchanged words with a Sounders staff member.
Video footage appeared to show the veteran striker spitting in the coach’s direction.
On Instagram, Suarez acknowledged his actions and expressed remorse.
“It was a moment of great tension and frustration, where right after the match things happened that should not have happened, but that does not justify the reaction I had,” he wrote.
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“I was wrong and I sincerely regret it. I feel bad about what happened, and I did not want to miss the opportunity to acknowledge it and apologise to everyone who felt hurt by what I did.”
The Uruguayan added that he remains focused on Inter Miami’s objectives this season.
“We know there is still a lot of the season ahead, and we are going to work together to achieve the successes that this club and all of its fans deserve,” he said.
League officials are expected to review the incident, and speculation continues about the extent of any punishment that could follow.
Luis Suárez appeared to spit on a Seattle staff member after the final whistle in the Leagues Cup Final ????
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For Suarez, however, this is not unfamiliar territory.
His career, though celebrated for brilliance on the field, has long been accompanied by disciplinary flashpoints that have shaped his reputation as much as his goals.
Suarez’s history of controversy stretches back more than a decade.
In 2011, while playing for Liverpool, he was handed an eight-match ban and fined £40,000 after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a Premier League match.
His career has also been plagued by three separate biting incidents, too.
The first came in 2010 when, as an Ajax player, Suarez bit PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal on the shoulder, earning him a seven-match suspension from the Dutch FA.
In 2013, during his time at Liverpool, he was banned for 10 games after sinking his teeth into Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a league fixture.
The most infamous incident arrived on the world stage at the 2014 World Cup, where Suarez bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini.
Luis Suarez pictured in 2014 after biting Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup | GETTY
FIFA banned him for nine international matches and suspended him from all football-related activity for four months, one of the harshest punishments in the sport’s recent history.
Despite these controversies, Suarez’s talent has kept him at the top level of the game for nearly two decades.
He remains Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer, won major honors with Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, and now plays a pivotal role for Inter Miami alongside Lionel Messi and Busquets.
As Inter Miami chase a playoff berth, the club must now wait to see whether Suarez’s latest outburst leads to another spell on the sidelines — and whether his apology will be enough to contain the fallout.