Luis Suarez has issued a written apology for his behaviour after appearing to spit on a Seattle Sounders staffer last weekend.
The Uruguayan admitted his actions were unacceptable during ugly scenes that followed Inter Miami’s 3-0 loss in the Leagues Cup final.
Suarez has admitted his reaction was 'wrong'
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Suarez has admitted his reaction was 'wrong'Credit: Getty
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.
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.
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“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.”
Suarez was furious following Inter Miami's Leagues Cup final defeat
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Suarez was furious following Inter Miami's Leagues Cup final defeatCredit: X
It resulted in his appearing to spit at a member of Seattle's staff
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It resulted in his appearing to spit at a member of Seattle's staffCredit: X
Has Suarez been punished for spitting?
As things stand, the ex-Ajax frontman has not yet been sanctioned by the league, and the MLS have not responded publicly to the incident.
Mexico's Hector Herrera served a three-match ban in November for spitting in the direction of a referee while at Houston Dynamo.
That proved to be the former Atletico Madrid star's final appearance at the club, as he was released by the American club weeks later.
Suarez, meanwhile, will be anxiously sweating over his imminent future, with Miami 'condemning the altercations that took place' in a statement following their star's public comments.
"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 team added.
He issued a lengthy apology in Spanish on social media
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He issued a lengthy apology in Spanish on social mediaCredit: Instagram
"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."
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.
Suarez was hit with a four-month ban from all football for biting Chiellini
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Suarez was hit with a four-month ban from all football for biting ChielliniCredit: Getty Images - Getty
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.
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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.