Luis Suarez BANNED after spitting incident despite issuing grovelling apology

Luis Suarez has been slappeed with a six-match suspension after spitting at an opposition staff member. The Inter Miami ace targeted Seattle Sounders director of security Gene Ramirez in a post-match melee following his side Leagues Cup final defeat.

Suarez initially instigated the incident when he grabbed Mexico midfielder Obed Vargas around the neck, andteam-mate Sergio Busquets hit the Sounders star on the chin. Busquets and another Inter Miami squad member Tomas Aviles have been suspended for two and three games respectively.

Seattle coach Steven Lenhart has also been suspended for five games after the tournament committeee dished out it's punishment. Suarez and the other guilty parties could yet see more punishments with their ban confined to the Leagues Cup — Major League Soccer 'reserves the right' to add additional sanctions.

The Leagues Cup, a yearly tournament involving teams from MLS and Mexico's Liga MX, have released a statement via their committee. "In accordance with the Leagues Cup Regulations, all four individuals sanctioned will also receive fines as a result of their conduct," it said.

"All suspensions must be served in the next edition or editions of Leagues Cup until fully completed."

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Suarez has already released an apology for his part in the conflict.

“First of all, I want to congratulate the Seattle Sounders for their Leagues Cup victory,” Suarez wrote on Instagram. “But more importantly, I want to apologize for my behavior at the end of the game. It was a moment full of tension and frustration, when things took place at the end of the game that shouldn’t have occurred, but that doesn’t justify my reaction. I made a mistake and I’m sincerely sorry.

“That’s not the image that I want to portray in front of my family, who suffer for my errors, and (Inter Miami) doesn’t deserve to be affected by this either. I feel bad for what happened and I did not want to miss this opportunity to recognize it and ask everyone for forgiveness who felt poorly about what I did.

“We know there is still a lot of season to play for and we’re going to work together in order to accomplish the goals that this club and its fans deserve."

Inter Miami also issued a statement of their own following the incident. "Inter Miami condemns the altercations that took place following the conclusion of the Leagues Cup Final," the club wrote.

"These actions do not reflect the values of our sport, and we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of sportsmanship both on and off the pitch. We are working closely with Leagues Cup and MLS officials to ensure the situation is addressed appropriately. We thank our fans and community for their continued support."

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