U.S. News

World Cup Star Caught on Camera Spitting on MLS Rival

LUI-SING IT

The MLS star and former Barcelona hero stayed true to his legacy in the Leagues Cup.

Luis Suárez #9 of Inter Miami CF argues after the Leagues Cup Final match between Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami CF at Lumen Field
Alika Jenner/Getty Images

World Cup icon and soccer bad boy Luis Suarez has raised hell yet again after appearing to spit on an opposition coach. The Uruguayan, who has played in four World Cups and is revered as one of the finest strikers soccer has ever seen, has a career marred by infamy, with a lengthy rap sheet of biting and racial abuse incidents. He has now added suspected spitting to his unsavory list. The Inter Miami star, 38, who scored 69 times for his country, seemed to spit on a member of Seattle Sounders’ coaching staff during his side’s 3-0 loss in the final of the Leagues Cup. He was at the center of tension between players from both sides after the final whistle, when he appeared to grab the neck of Mexico international Obed Vargas before former Spain star and Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets made contact with the Sounders player on the chin. As the dispute moved into a second phase, the former Liverpool man’s teammate Oscar Ustari held him back from a direct altercation with a member of the Sounders backroom staff. At that point, Suarez appeared to spit in his direction. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said, “I have nothing to say because I was far away and didn’t see what happened.” Brian Schmetzer, the coach of Seattle, said, per BBC, “Unfortunately, that is going to take some of the attention away from a great performance by the Seattle Sounders.”

Read it at BBC