Luis Suarez banned for 6 games after spitting saga in Leagues Cup final

Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez has been handed a 6-game Leagues Cup ban for his antics in the final of the tournament last week. The Leagues Cup Organising Committee has handed Suarez a steep suspension for spitting at a staff member of the Seattle Sounders.

The incident occurred at the end of the final on September 1, when both teams got into a melee after Seattle's 3-0 victory against Inter Miami. The scuffle saw Suarez spitting on one of the coaches and Sergio Busquets throw a punch at one of the opposition players.

The Leagues Cup handed Busquets a suspension for two games and Miami defender Tomas Aviles three games for their aggressive behaviour in the melee. And Sounders assistant coach Steven Lenhart was handed a five-game suspension after similarly being reported for violent conduct.

These suspensions only cover future participation in the Leagues Cup, the mid-season tournament featuring MLS and Liga MX teams that just concluded its fifth edition.

As for Major League Soccer, the Leagues Cup committee noted in a statement that MLS "reserves the right to impose further disciplinary actions on the players and coaching staff involved."

It's unclear whether MLS will do so. Inter Miami are slated to host the Sounders on September 16.

Earlier on Thursday, Suarez apologised for his behaviour in a social media post.

"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," he wrote in part.

"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.

"I feel bad for what happened, and I didn't want to let pass the opportunity to recognize and apologize to everyone that felt bad for what I did. We know there is still a lot of season left ahead and we will work together to try and get the triumphs that this club and its fans deserve. A hug to all."

Suarez, a 38-year-old Uruguayan who once starred for Liverpool and Barcelona, has a history of poor behaviour on the field. Three times he has been suspended for biting opponents, and he once was suspended for racial abuse, though he denied the allegation.

Suarez has six goals and 10 assists in 22 MLS matches this season, and he added three goals and three assists in six Leagues Cup matches.