Orlando City head coach Jason Kreis has taken a stern but supportive stance in regards to striker Cyle Larin's Thursday morning arrest for driving under the influence, with Kreis' sentiment echoed by Lions captain Kaka.
“Cyle is obviously distraught, very, very disappointed in himself and his decision, but is wanting to move forward as quickly as possible. We disagree with [his decision] vehemently. It goes against what we’ve tried to establish here in this club and how we want to comport ourselves publicly," Kreis told reporters Friday, as quoted by the Orlando Sentinel.
WATCH: MLS star arrested for DUI
“On a private side of things, though, we also believe very strongly that we are a family, and families come together when mistakes happen," Kreis said. "So, we need to be strict in our view of it and tell Cyle and the rest of the group that these decisions are poor and they affect everyone. But then we need to move on from that and say we’re family, and family members forgive.”
Kaka, Orlando's Brazilian superstar, said that he's seen players partake in partying over the years, saying: "Cyle is not the exception."
The former Milan star also believes that Larin's DUI charge is "a great opportunity" for both the 22-year-old striker and the team as a whole to better itself.
“I think he’s going to pay a lot in all senses,” Kaka said. “As teammates . . . what we need to do now is be with him, saying we do not agree with the situation, but we still love Cyle Larin.”
Larin, Orlando's all-time leading scorer in MLS and the 2015 league rookie of the year, took to social media on Friday to apologize for the incident, stating that he will "do everything possible" to never again put himself in a similar situation.
— Cyle Larin (@CyleLarin) June 16, 2017
The Canadian international will be placed in MLS' substance abuse program and is set to miss an undetermined amount of time for the Lions. Canada Soccer has not announced whether Larin will miss any games at next month's CONCACAF Gold Cup.