Luis Suárez has apologized for his behaviour in the aftermath of Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup Final loss to Seattle Sounders, with the Florida club also issuing a statement on the post-match fracas that involved multiple players.

The Sounders trounced Miami 3–0, but the scuffle that ensued afterwards overshadowed the initial euphoria of the result for Brian Schmetzer and his team. In the scuffle, several players could be seen throwing punches and pushing, while Suárez allegedly spat at a Sounders staff member. 

Both teams’ conduct, and in particular Suárez’s apparent spit, have been widely condemned in the press and by fans online. However, neither statement addressed the specifics of the incident, instead apologizing for the entire situation, and pointed to MLS and Leagues Cup organizers for next steps. 

While the competition falls under Leagues Cup jurisdiction and is separate from MLS, there is leeway for suspensions and punishments to come down outside of the Leagues Cup itself.  Neither MLS or Leagues Cup have made any statement, nor issued punishments.

“First of all, I want to congratulate the Seattle Sounders for their Leagues Cup victory, but more importantly, I want to apologize for my behavior at the end of the game,” Suárez wrote on Instagram in Spanish. “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’s statement issued after Suárez’s initial outreach echoed similar thoughts, and points to the league and competition for future repercussions, whether against Suárez or the club as a whole. 

“Inter Miami condemns the altercations that took place following the conclusion of the Leagues Cup Final. 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,” the club posted online.

“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.”

MLS previously suspended Héctor Herrera for three matches for spitting in the direction of the referee while playing for Houston Dynamo, while there’s other precedents in place for Leagues Cup altercations leading to an MLS ban—Cristian Arango was banned for four matches for violating the league’s anti-harassment policy in a July 2024 Leagues Cup match. 

Inter Miami next take to the field on Sept. 13 when they take on Charlotte FC, three days before a return showdown with Seattle.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘A Mistake’—Luis Suarez Apologizes, Inter Miami Speak Out on Leagues Cup Melee.