Major League Soccer have announced an additional three-match suspension for Inter Miami striker Luis Suarez. He already received punishment following his involvement in a post-match altercation after Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup final against Seattle Sounders on August 31.
This extension adds to the six-game ban that was already imposed on him for future editions of the Leagues Cup. The incident occurred after Miami’s 3-0 defeat to Seattle at Lumen Field. There, Suarez became involved in heated arguments before spitting on a member of the Sounders’ staff.
The member was later identified as Steven Lenhart. The brawl resulted in multiple sanctions from both the Leagues Cup Disciplinary Committee and MLS. Following the announcement, Suárez took to social media to apologize. The Uruguayan forward wrote:
“It was a moment of much tension and frustration, where just after the game ended things happened that shouldn’t have happened, but that doesn’t justify my reaction. I made a mistake and sincerely apologize. It’s not the image I want to give in front of my family, that suffers because of my mistakes, in front of my club, that also doesn’t deserve seeing themselves affected by something like this.”
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Inter Miami also condemned the incident. They later stated that such behavior does not align with the club’s values. Considering Messi’s unavailability at times with his age and increasing injuries, Suarez is an important part of the team. Hence, both bans will create problems for the club.
The extended suspension comes at a crucial stage for Miami. They are currently sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The absence of their top striker at such a moment could heavily impact their playoff push. Suarez will now miss the following MLS matches:
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The Uruguayan striker will be eligible to return on September 24 against New York City FC. Meanwhile, MLS also handed out penalties to others involved in the incident
Lenhart had his league credentials revoked for the rest of the season and postseason. Suarez’s Inter Miami teammates Sergio Busquets and Tomas Aviles were handed suspensions in the Leagues Cup. However, they escaped additional MLS sanctions unlike Suarez.
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