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Former Barcelona forward Luis Suarez is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of this generation with the Uruguayan netting over 400 goals across a long and illustrious career. He achieved individual and collective success during his time at Ajax and Liverpool but the true highlight of his career came during his time at Barcelona.
He moved to Atletico Madrid last year after some bad blood between himself and the Barcelona board. Reports claim that at the appointment of Ronald Koeman as Barcelona manager, Suarez was informed that he was not in the plans of the Dutchman and had to leave.
That was the bulk of the information available on the departure of the Uruguayan from Barcelona but Suarez has finally spoken about the issue. In an interview with France Football, Suarez opens up on his sour exit from Barcelona.
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Suarez said, “What is essential is the mind. It's very important to be strong in your head and to feel that you have the means to turn around difficult situations. It has always been one of my characteristics: I never gave up, even when I was going through difficult times."
He continues, "It is this character that pushed me to come to this team which is fighting for important things. One of my motivations was to be able to show that you still have to count on me. It is a question of self-esteem. After all these years at Barça, I wanted to show that I can still be useful at the highest level, within the Spanish elite."
Speaking further, Suarez added, "On the one hand, this change was welcome because, after everything I had experienced at Barça, and given the way it went, I wanted to change. The hardest part is when you have a family that for six years has been used to living in the same place. Having to explain to my children that we are going to change when they have their friends and their habits in Barcelona, that was the most difficult. All the more so during a pandemic, with the current difficulties, in particular to socialize with people here, in Madrid. This complicates things, it's impossible to do extra-curricular activities with the children, we have to stay at home. They miss their friends, as they miss my wife's family in Barcelona. But you also have to see the positive side: I was not going to be happy where people no longer wanted me. Now my family feels that I am happy and that is the main thing. ”
In conclusion, Suarez said, “What really bothered me was that they told me that I was old and that I could no longer play at the top level, be up to a great team. That's what displeased me. ”
Barcelona handled Suarez's exit badly
Suarez signed for the Spanish giants in the summer of 2014 and quickly cemented himself in the starting XI for the side. He was an integral part of the Barcelona side that won the treble in his first season at the club.
The striker went on to achieve more silverware with the Laliga side over the next five seasons while establishing himself as one of the best players in the game.
Things however went south between Barcelona and Luis Suarez last season. The Catalan outfit endured a very difficult campaign in which they finished without any silverware. Something, therefore, needed to be done as it was an unusual experience for Barcelona.
Lionel Messi, their best player, threatened to leave, the club chairman was unanimously voted against to be sacked, and with the arrival of a new manager, Barcelona decided to undergo a restructuring process in which certain players were cut from the squad.
The Uruguayan striker was one of the names on the list of players to be cut. While most would expect that a player who scored almost 200 goals for the club would be treated with more respect, the case was not so as Suarez was practically kicked out of Barcelona.
He has since moved to Atletico Madrid and has been integral to their title push as they currently sit at the top of the Laliga. Suarez himself has scored 16 goals in 20 league games this season, further proving that Barcelona were wrong to let him go.
