By Ben Church, CNN

(CNN) — Inter Miami forward Luis Suárez has received a three-match ban from Major League Soccer (MLS) after a spitting incident following last week’s Leagues Cup final.

The game on August 31 ended with the Seattle Sounders beating Miami 3-0, but a scuffle broke out on the field shortly after full-time, with Suárez at the center of the action.

Moments after grabbing Seattle midfielder Obed Vargas around the neck, footage shows Suárez shouting and then spitting in the direction of a Sounders staff member.

The MLS announced the three-game ban on Monday, meaning Suárez will miss out on league matches against Charlotte FC, DC United and a rematch with the Sounders.

It comes after Leagues Cup organizers handed Suárez a six-match ban suspended until the next edition of the tournament, according to TNT Sports.

The Uruguayan striker, who is no stranger to controversy, apologized for his actions in an Instagram message last week.

“It was a very tense and frustrating moment. Things happened right after the match that shouldn’t have happened, but that doesn’t justify my reaction. I was wrong and I sincerely regret it,” he wrote on Instagram.

Inter Miami also apologized for the “altercations” that took place after the final, but did not name Suárez in its statement.

“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,” Miami said in a team statement last week.

This is just the latest flash point in a controversial career for Suárez.

The 38-year-old was once considered among the best players in the world, but his quality on the ball was sometimes let down by his actions off it.

On three occasions, Suárez served suspensions for biting an opponent. He was also banned for eight matches after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra in 2011.

MLS punishments

Following the clashes after the Leagues Cup final, the MLS also revoked the credentials of Sounders staff member Steven Lenhart for the role he played. Seattle was also fined an undisclosed amount for “misappropriation of credentials.”

Notably, Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets avoided punishment after appearing to strike Vargas on the chin during the post-match melee.

The-CNN-Wire
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