Luis Suarez, who played for Inter Miami last weekend in the NFL’s championship game against the Seattle Sounders, received a six-game suspension, according to tournament disciplinary officials who released a statement on Friday.
After getting involved in a brawl following Miami’s 3-0 loss, the 38-year-old former Uruguay, Liverpool, and Barcelona star was fined for spitting at a Sounders official.
Suarez’s suspension would only be effective for the following year’s edition of the tournament, according to a statement from the Leagues Cup Disciplinary Committee, but Major League Soccer “reserves the right” to impose additional sanctions.
Sergio Busquets, Suarez’s inter-teammate at Inter Miami, also received a two-game suspension. Tomas Aviles, a third Inter player, is prohibited from playing in three games.
Steven Lenhart, a member of the Seattle coaching staff, has received a five-game suspension.
READ MORE: Germany Loses Opening World Cup Qualifier As Spain Cruises
The teams from MLS and Liga-MX faced off in the joint competition after chaotic scenes came to an end to Miami’s defeat in Sunday’s final at Seattle.
Obed Vargas, a 20-year-old midfielder for the Sounders, was immediately put in a headlock by Suarez shortly after the final whistle, causing a brawl that involved both players and staff.
As Seattle security staff members spit at each other as they walked away from Vargas, officials scrambled to restore order, but cameras later discovered Suarez and his partner were doing the same.
Suarez apologized for his actions in a statement on Thursday, which was released after being previously given suspensions for biting and racially abusing opponents in separate incidents earlier in his career.
Suarez wrote on Instagram that the situation created great tension and annoyance, with the result that things didn’t go as planned but that doesn’t justify my actions.
Suarez continued, “I was wrong and I sincerely regret it. I feel bad about what happened, and I didn’t want to miss the chance to acknowledge it and express my sincere regret,”
This was Suarez’s most recent disciplinary encounter.
After receiving a four-month ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini, he was notoriously kicked out of the 2014 World Cup.
He has also been fined for biting people during club games, and in 2011 England’s authorities issued an eight-game ban for allegedly racially abusing France’s Patrice Evra.
One of the villains of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was also a man who had denied Ghana what would have been a late winner in the quarter-finals due to his cynical handball.
Source: Channels TV
Leave a Reply