Barcelona told me I was old and could no longer play at high level, admits Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez has confessed that Barcelona told him that he was old and thus could no longer play at a high enough level to lead the front-line at a great team. The 34-year-old was ostracised from Camp Nou and left in acrimonious circumstances over the summer, signing for Atletico Madrid.
After that incredible loss to Bayern Munich, Barcelona’s officials promised a serious change about the club and it saw them let quite a few players leave over the summer. From Nelson Semedo to Luis Suarez but it was the Uruguayan’s departure that hurt quite a few fans and players alike including Lionel Messi. Many believe that the La Liga giants didn’t treat Suarez correctly especially after his six-years of service to them but the forward has thrived since leaving.
He is currently La Liga’s top scorer, alongside Lionel Messi, and has completely transformed Atletico Madrid with them, at the moment, favourites for the league title. But in a recent interview, Suarez admitted that Barcelona told him that he “was old” and that he “could no longer play at a high level” for any club. He further added that the idea of signing for Atletico Madrid, “a competitive team”, appealed to him as he believes he still has a lot to offer.
“What really bothered me was when they told me that I was old and that I could no longer play at a high level, be up to [the task of fronting] a great team. That’s what I did not like. If I hadn't done anything at a club like Barca for three or four seasons, I would have understood. But, every year at Barca, I scored more than 20 goals per season. I have always had good statistics, just behind Leo (Messi),” Suarez told France Football
“Today, we can see that it is not easy to play at Barca ... A lot of players who signed there did not have the level that was expected of them. Me, I played for six years at Barca maintaining a certain level and living up to what was expected of me. At Barca, circumstances have changed, the club needed changes. And I accepted it. The only thing that bothered me was the way [it happened]. I think I deserved some respect."
"It was a decision that I could not prevent. I felt like I was no longer being counted on, so with my pride I told myself that I was going to continue to show what I am worth. This is why the idea of going to Atletico, a competitive team, appealed to me,” he added.
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