Luis Suarez has insisted that he “hasn’t forgotten” that Barcelona made him train alone towards the end of his time at Camp Nou.
Luis Suarez initially joined Barca from Liverpool back in 2014 and went on to play a key role in one of the most successful periods in their history, winning four Liga titles and the Champions League.
The Uruguayan scored 195 goals in 283 games for the Blaugrana, but they decided to sanction his departure in the summer of 2019 due to fears that he was past his peak after advancing past the age of 30.
Atletico snapped Suarez up for a bargain fee of €6 million and he fired the club to the Liga title in his first season at Wanda Metropolitano.
And the Uruguayan still harbours some ill-feeling towards Barca for the way he was treated, telling RTVE prior to the Spanish champions’ clash with Barca on Saturday: “Yes [I believe in karma].
“Karma, destiny, that they despise you, because I have not forgotten that last year in pre-season, [Barcelona] sent me to train on my own to make me angry, and I was a professional [despite that], as the coach said.
“I was a professional and I would train every day without pouting because that is what I have to do, because I am like that and fate will have its own end.”
Luis Suarez is not taking any joy in Barca’s ongoing struggles, though, with a 3-0 Champions League defeat to Benfica on Wednesday heaping more pressure on head coach Ronald Koeman.
As reported by Goal, it’s a case of when not if that the Barca board replace the Dutchman as their head coach, and Suarez says that their current plight “hurts”.
“The situation the club is experiencing hurts, having been there for many years, for having friends there, but the club knows that things are not being done as they should be done,” Luis Suarez added.
“Hopefully, it will be a bump from which the club returns to where it was because there is a lot of future within the club.”
Barca legend Xavi is one who could be drafted in to replace Koeman, but Suarez has advised his old team-mate to wait a while longer before taking up the position in the Camp Nou dugout.
“As a football fan and what he has done as a player, I don’t think today, tomorrow or the day after is the right time to take charge [of Barcelona],” he added. “[Xavi] is intelligent and knows the difficulty of the club. He has to bide his time.
“He has ex-teammates at the club that he will have to make decisions with and it’s going to be difficult.”
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