In an interview with France Football magazine, the striker spared no criticism of Barça and their current coach, Ronald Koeman, who told him he did not count on him.
The Uruguayan Luis Suárez said that he was very upset by the way in which Barcelona let him know that he did not have him, that at Atlético de Madrid he found a club that lived up to his ambition and that the ‘pride led him to prove that he is still among the best in the world.
“Barcelona needed changes, I accept that, but I was bothered by the ways, I’ve always tried to live up to the club, to give my best. It’s not easy to spend six years at Barcelona and be at the “level I was. I think I deserved some respect for the way they told me they didn’t want me anymore. With my pride, I told myself I wanted to show that I’m still brave,” he said in an interview on Tuesday. publishes France Football magazine.
The striker spared no criticism of Barça and their current coach, Ronald Koeman, Who told him she didn’t count on him.
“It bothered me to be told that I was old and could no longer play at the highest level, to live up to a great team. That displeased me. If I hadn’t done anything at a club like Barça during three or four years I would have understood, but every year I scored more than 20 goals. I always had good statistics, behind Leo “Messi said.
He acknowledged that the change of city was difficult for his family, for his children who moved away from his friends, but he considered it essential because “he would not be happy in a place where they do not want you.”
“It’s important to feel that you have the strength to overcome difficult moments. This has always been one of my characteristics: never under my arms, even when I go through difficult moments. This character was what made me come to this team. , who fights for important things, “he said.
“One of the motivations was to show that you can still count on me. It’s a matter of self-love. After all these years spent at Barça, I wanted to show that I can be useful at the highest level, in the Spanish elite.” , he added.
Suárez dismantled the idea that in the Athletic of Madrid he trains more than in Barcelona, although he did recognize that the intensity can be greater, but concentrated in less time.
He also noted that the white club-plays in a place where he has more freedom of movement and that in the coach, the Argentine Diego Simeone, Has found a technician who is confident in his quality as he once had with Luis Enrique at Barça.
“What motivates me is to be in a club that hasn’t won the league in a long time (2014) and that aspires to that. But also a club that has the same desire as me to win the Champions League (it has been a finalist in 1974, 2014 and 2016) .the competitive level of this club is incredible and corresponds to mine, my pride and my will to keep winning, even if I am 34 years old, “he assured.
Suarez he wanted to show that his performance was not just about being at a club like Barça and with a teammate like Lionel Messi.
“In recent years they said it was easy to score when you play for Messi’s side. Now I keep scoring and I feel more value is given to what I do. I know what I’m worth. I didn’t just score because I played alongside the best player. of the world in a club like Barça. Also for my quality “, he commented.
The Uruguayan acknowledged that he misses his Argentine friend, “who beyond the player was a friend” and misses “the conversations, not only about football, but also about life.”
To the question of who he misses the most, if the Barcelona He Messi to answer: “What is certain is that not to the coach, who said he was happy with the decision to let me go. Maybe what Leo misses is having an everyday friend.”