“My mission was to show Barcelona they had made a mistake” - Luis Suarez on joining Atletico despite being second only to Lionel Messi
Luis Suarez had a memorable time at Barcelona, where he formed an iconic partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. The Uruguayan striker joined the Catalan club in Liverpool in 2014 for a reported fee of €81.72 million.
In Luis Suarez’s first season at Barca, he helped the club win the treble of LaLiga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. In his sophomore season at the club, he achieved an expected feat, winning the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe.
In the process, he became the first player since the 2009-10 campaign to win both awards other than Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite his immense goal contributions, Suarez found himself as surplus to requirements as he was sold to league rivals Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2020 after Ronald Koeman took over the managerial reins.
In a recent interview, Suarez reflected on his departure from Barcelona and expressed his disappointment at the club’s decision to sell him. He insisted that he was still in good form when they sold him and claimed that his decision to join Atletico when they came calling was to get back at the Catalan club.
"I don't live in the past and I don't hold grudges,’’ Suarez said (via Barca Universal). ''But I had a very bad time when I left Barcelona. I felt I still had what it takes to play for Barça. I was the top scorer after Messi. I didn't score less than 20-25 goals a season..."
"Then Atlético Madrid came along and opened the doors for me. That motivated me. My mission was to show Barcelona that they had made a mistake and to pay Atletico for the confidence they had in me. And we won LaLiga, I give a lot of value to that title."
Suarez displayed his goal-scoring prowess even after the season he won the Pichichi Trophy. He came second in the top scorers list in the 2016/17 LaLiga campaign and was Barca’s second top scorer in the subsequent seasons, behind Lionel Messi.
"I didn't imagine we would be together again" – When Luis Suarez said he hoped he and Lionel Messi would retire at Barcelona
After Barca parted ways with Luis Suarez, little did Lionel Messi know that his time at the club would come to an abrupt end. The season after Suarez left La Blaugrana, Messi was compelled to leave due to the club’s financial difficulties.
Speaking in 2024, Suarez stated that he ''didn’t imagine'' that he and Messi could become teammates again. The Uruguay striker said (via Marca):
"I didn't imagine we would be together again because I thought Leo would finish his career at Barcelona. In 2019, we imagined winning everything at Barcelona and we dreamed of retiring there. First, I left and then they all left after me."
Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi are now teammates at MLS side Inter Miami. The Argentine icon joined the club in 2023 before Suarez reunited with him in 2024.