Following the on-field incident during Friday's match against New Amsterdam FC, the New York Cosmos have released the following statement:

"Today, the National Independent Soccer Association suspended Cosmos defender, Emmanuele Sembroni, for the remainder of the 2020 Fall Season - including the playoffs. NISA followed the appropiate review process in reaching its decision, and the Cosmos will not appeal.

"As an organization, we cannot and will not condone unsportsmanlike behavior. Once again, the Cosmos extend our deepest apology to Danny Vicente and everyone at New Amsterdam FC. This is certainly not how we wanted to begin our new local rivalry.

"While Emmanuele has played his last game for the Cosmos, we believe he will be able to learn from this incident. Since joining our club, he has been an active member of the Cosmos family and a dedicated community volunteer. We know Emmanuele is sincerely sorry for his actions, and hope that, in due course, he can be forgiven for his mistake."