Former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has once again found himself in the middle of controversy after Inter Miami’s crushing 3-0 defeat to Seattle Sounders in the Leagues Cup final on Sunday night.
Footage from the fiery aftermath showed Suarez appearing to spit at a member of the Sounders coaching staff as tempers boiled over.
The shocking incident took place near the center of the pitch, with Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari seen stepping in to prevent further escalation.
What began as a tense exchange between players from both sides quickly spiraled into chaos.
Several players were spotted grabbing each other by the neck and even throwing punches following the final whistle.
In the middle of the storm was Suarez, who confronted a Sounders staff member face-to-face before allegedly spitting.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano admitted he did not witness the alleged incident directly but condemned the general atmosphere after the match.
“Nobody likes these kinds of actions at the end of a match, but if there’s a reaction, maybe there was provocation,” Mascherano explained.
Meanwhile, Sounders boss Brian Schmetzer acknowledged the brawl overshadowed his team’s impressive display in the final.
“Unfortunately, that is going to take some of the attention away from a great performance by the Seattle Sounders,” he said.
He added, “I guess we can take that as a compliment that Miami’s frustrations led to some things happening on the field that shouldn’t happen.”
The 38-year-old forward has faced multiple bans and suspensions throughout his career for behavior on the pitch.
In 2011, Suarez was fined and banned for eight games after racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra, later refusing to shake his hand in a subsequent meeting.
Three years later, during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Suarez was banned for four months after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini his third biting offense following incidents involving Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and Ajax’s Otman Bakkal.
With MLS reviewing Sunday’s ugly scenes, Suarez could face another suspension.
His actions, already under scrutiny, are expected to bring a “lengthy punishment” according to reports.
