Sports - Football - All Teams
Updated: February 23, 2021

Sports: Barcelona Told Me I Was Old, That Really Annoyed Me - Suarez

By Ridwan Yusuf
February 23, 2021
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Atlético Madrid frontman, Luis Suárez has lamented the way in which his time at Barcelona came to a close last summer, making clear that some persons at the club were clearly trying to push him out.

The 34-year-old spent six years with the Catalan club and became the second-highest goalscorer in their history with 195 goals in 283 appearances. Yet, he was told that he was no longer capable of playing for a team like Barcelona.

"What really annoyed me was being told that I was old and that I couldn't play at the top level anymore, that I couldn't play at the level of a big team. That's what upset me," Suarez explained in a recent interview with the popular magazine France Football.

"Barcelona kicked me out, they told me they didn't have me in their plans anymore.

"Another question is if you still have a multi-year contract and the club wants to sell you.

"But the club indicated that they didn't want me anyway.

"They just didn't want me anymore. I deserved a certain amount of respect."

Despite Barcelona's claims, the Uruguayan pointed to his goalscoring returns in his final years in Catalonia as proof that he was still making an impact, having scored 23 goals and provided 15 assists in the 2018/19 campaign and then 21 goals and 12 assists in his final season at the Camp Nou.

"If I hadn't shown anything at Barcelona for three or four seasons I would have understood. But I have scored more than 20 goals every season," the Uruguayan argued.

"I've always had good statistics, only behind [Lionel] Messi. I reached a certain level at Barcelona for six years and did what was expected of me."

The final nail in the coffin for Suarez's Barcelona career seemed to come when Ronald Koeman told him over the phone that he didn't have him in his plans. Shortly after, the Uruguayan made the switch to Atletico Madrid for a fee that could rise to five million euros.

"I wasn't going to be happy where people no longer wanted me, but this change [signing for Atletico] was welcome after everything I had experienced at Barcelona and because of the way I left [the phone call from Koeman to tell him that he was not in his plans]," Suarez said of his departure.

"I wanted to change. The hardest thing is when you have a family that has been used to living in the same place for six years.

"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 hardest thing.

"But you also have to look on the bright side: I wasn't going to be happy where people didn't like me anymore.

"Now my family feels that I'm happy and that's the main thing."

How Suarez stunned former Liverpool youngster Canos

In a piece of related news, Suarez set the standard in every Liverpool training session and even worked through injury, according to former teammate Sergi Canos.

The striker scored 82 goals in 133 appearances for the English Premier League (EPL) giants between 2011 and 2014, lighting up games as he did so in incredible fashion.

Canos arrived at Melwood as a 16-year-old from Barcelona in 2013 and spent one season alongside Suarez, having been invited to train with the senior squad by manager Brendan Rodgers on numerous occasions.

And the winger, who is playing a key part of Brentford's promotion push this season, spoke about the first time he met the Uruguayan and saw his elite work ethic in action.

"He was fantastic," Canos said according to Goal.

"It was the first time I thought okay, this is Luis Suarez who is scoring goals every weekend, earning who knows how much, and he's training like this on a Monday?!

"I remember the very beginning of one training session. I was very good friends with Jose Enrique, and all the Spanish guys used to have breakfast together.

"Luis had something going on with the nail on his foot. I don't know what happened, but he was limping.

"And Jose Enrique was like: 'Well it's Monday, don't train'. Luis was like: 'Maybe, maybe, I'll ask the physio'.

"And he went out and trained, limping, on Monday! They'd just played on the Saturday! I went home and I was amazed. I was like: 'This guy loves football!'

"He just said: 'I can't stay inside, I just want to go outside and train with you guys!' We were like: 'Yes, but what's the point?!'

"Now I understand that there is a point. Now, I'm like this.

"That's why the standard has to be up here."

Suarez is firing in the goals once again this season and has scored 16 for La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid while 24-year-old Canos has featured in every Championship match for Brentford this term.