"The club did not give me any explanation" - Luis Suarez addresses his Barcelona exit
Former Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has opened up on his decision to leave Camp Nou last year.
Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman had claimed that the decision to sell the Uruguayan was made before he arrived. However, the 33-year-old forward has come out to debunk those claims.
Speaking to Spanish radio station Onda Cero, Luis Suarez said:
“When Barça made it official that they did not count on me, they began conversations with Atleti, with Cholo, with Miguel Ángel .... Koeman called me and told me that they did not count on me.
“At Barça they told me not to go to train, I told them that as long as I had a contract I would train. The club did not give me any explanation, they only told me that it was a decision of the coach.
“Not only Messi, many Barça fans didn’t understand the decision ... I didn’t want to be a problem. It hurt me to leave Barça.”
The former Liverpool man subsequently joined Atletico Madrid and has been the driving force behind their surge up the La Liga table.
Luis Suarez formed a strong bond with Lionel Messi at Barcelona. He touched on his relationship with the Argentine and weighed in on his future at the Catalan club.
''This afternoon I spoke with Messi; He was very happy about yesterday’s victory. He is at a spectacular level, he is the best in the world. Lionel Messi will retire wherever he wants, he will be able to decide whether at Barcelona, Argentina or wherever.
“Of course I see myself arguing with Messi in a Barça-Atleti match. On the pitch we are rivals but outside friends.”
Luis Suarez thriving at Atletico Madrid, while Lionel Messi faces uncertainty at Barcelona
Atletico Madrid have been the most dominant side in La Liga this season, and Luis Suarez has proven to be the difference-maker for them.
Diego Simeone's men currently have a 10-point lead over Barcelona and Real Madrid at the summit and still have a game in hand. At this stage, the league is very much theirs to lose, and they have Luis Suarez to thank for that.
The Uruguay international currently tops the goalscorer's chart with 14 goals, while he has also contributed two assists from 16 league games.
By contrast, his friend and former teammate Lionel Messi is far from enjoying what could be his final year with Barcelona.
The Rosario native has expressed his desire to leave the club at the end of the season but was rocked by the scandalous revelation of his hefty salary this week.
This was seen as an act of betrayal by the club board towards the greatest player in Barcelona's history, and lawsuits have been threatened.
It is far from an ideal end to Lionel Messi's career with the Blaugrana. At this stage, it is hard to see him remaining at Camp Nou beyond the summer.