Former Liverpool star Luis Suarez has issued a written apology after appearing to spit at a Seattle Sounders staff member during the Leagues Cup final.

Inter Miami lost 3-0 in the tournament final, which features top teams from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX, despite having stars like Suarez and Lionel Messi in the squad.

Footage showed Suarez confronting a Sounders staff member near the middle of the pitch as tensions rose between both sides after the final whistle.

The 38-year-old striker got very close to the coach and appeared to spit at him, while Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari tried to intervene.

His actions were widely criticized, and Suarez has now admitted he made a mistake. On Instagram, he wrote: “First, congratulations to Seattle Sounders for winning the Leagues Cup. But more importantly, I want to apologise for my behaviour at the end of the game.

It was a tense and frustrating moment, and things happened that shouldn’t have, but that doesn’t justify my reaction. I made a mistake and I am truly sorry.”

He added, “That’s not the image I want to show in front of my family, who are affected by my mistakes, and Inter Miami doesn’t deserve to be hurt either. I feel bad for what happened and want to ask everyone for forgiveness.

There’s still a lot of season left, and we will work hard to achieve the goals that this club and its fans deserve. A hug to all.”

Suarez has a history of on-field controversies. In 2011, he was banned for eight matches and fined by the English FA for racist remarks toward Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and later refused to shake Evra’s hand.

During the 2014 World Cup, he was suspended for four months after biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, which was the third biting incident of his career.

He had previously bitten Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic while at Liverpool and Otman Bakkal during his time at Ajax.