‘Made a mistake’ – Luis Suarez handed brutal punishment for spitting on rival staff

Luis Suarez has been handed a six-game ban for spitting on a rival member of staff during an Inter Miami cup game.

The Uruguayan admitted his actions were unacceptable during ugly scenes that followed Inter Miami’s 3-0 loss in the Leagues Cup final to Seattle Sounders.

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A statement from the Leagues Cup disciplinary committee said Suarez’s would only apply to next year’s edition of the tournament, meaning he might not miss any MLS games.

The MLS can decide to dish out further punishment if they want to, but as of now, Suarez can play in league games.

The former Liverpool and Barcelona striker sparked a post-match melee on Sunday after grabbing Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas.

Suarez then turned his attention to a Sounders coach and appeared to spit in his direction before being restrained by his teammates.

Sergio Busquets shoved a Seattle player in the face, and he has received a two-game ban.

Thomas Aviles has a three-game ban for violent conduct, and Sounders coach Steven Lenhart has also been banned for five matches.

The 38-year-old’s behaviour has been widely condemned since, and now the forward has finally admitted he made a mistake.

“First of all, I want to congratulate the Seattle Sounders for their Leagues Cup victory,” Suarez wrote on Instagram on Thursday.

“But more importantly, I want to apologise for my behaviour 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 recognise 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.

“A hug to all.”

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How many times has Suarez bitten a player?

Suarez is no stranger to courting controversy throughout his career, but has garnered a reputation for biting rivals rather than spitting.

The all-time leading scorer for Uruguay has sunk his teeth into THREE different opposition players during his professional career.

During his time as Ajax captain, Suarez was banned for seven games for biting Otman Bakkal’s shoulder in 2010.

The ‘Cannibal of Ajax’ struck again three years later at Liverpool, with then-Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic his next victim in April 2013.

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The FA slapped the forward with a 10-game ban following the 2-2 draw, which carried over into the start of the 2013/14 campaign.

That wasn’t his only high-profile incident of shame on Merseyside, as he had already served an eight-match ban and paid a £40,000 fine in 2011 for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.

Suarez also left bite marks on legendary defender Giorgio Chiellini, in Uruguay’s 1-0 win over Italy at the 2014 summer World Cup.

FIFA suspended Suarez from all football activity for four months, which stopped him from making his Barca debut until that October.