After Luis Suarez appeared to spit on staff members, Seattle Sounders’ head coach reveals what happened during chat with Lionel Messi 

Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer has spoken about what happened during his conversation with Lionel Messi after Luis Suarez appeared to spit on staff members. The Herons striker had a verbal exchange with a member of the Sounders staff, and a video showed Suarez spitting toward the staff member.

This has led to widespread criticism, with Leagues Cup officials stating that they will investigate the incident. Brian Schmetzer, however, was pleased with Messi's reaction after the game, as he revealed that he had a chat with the legendary Argentine playmaker.

He was not happy about the Luis Suarez situation, as he explained (via ClutchPoints):

“Unfortunately, that is going to take some of the attention away from a great performance by the Seattle Sounders. Their players were frustrated and that led to some things happening on the field that shouldn’t happen on the field.”

However, he opened up on his conversation with Lionel Messi:

“I’m going to shut that down, because that shouldn’t be the story. The story of the game is not what happened after the game. I had a quiet moment with Messi on the field [after the game] and we talked. We tried to push it aside. That’s the story.”

The Seattle Sounders won their first Leagues Cup title by beating Inter Miami 3-0, but a controversial event involving Suarez after the game cut the celebrations short.

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Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi have enjoyed a close friendship in their football careers

Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi's friendship has lasted through clubs, continents, and jobs. They became good friends while playing with Neymar in the famous "MSN" trio at Barcelona. Together, they won regular trophies, such as their continental treble with the UEFA Champions League in 2015.

They notably spent a lot of time with their families off the field, with Messi notably speaking out in defense of Suarez in 2020. The Argentine legend publicly criticized how Barcelona treated his friend, forcing Suarez out of the club that year.

He also slammed the club, adding (via The Guardian), “You did not deserve for them to throw you out like they did. But the truth is that at this stage nothing surprises me anymore.” The duo reunited at Inter Miami and have continued to play together, winning the Supporters' Shield in 2024.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are also business partners. They have been working together on a new project called Deportivo LSM, a club they co-founded in Uruguay.