Luis Suarez has taken another swipe at Barcelona following Atletico Madrid’s title win, slamming both manager Ronald Koeman and axed president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
The Uruguayan forward was deemed surplus to requirements by Barca’s board last summer and told to leave, but defied any notion he was past his best by scoring 21 goals in La Liga and helping fire Atleti to the league title.
Suarez was emotional after seeing off Real Valladolid in the final game of the campaign, crying on the pitch as he FaceTimed his wife, and blasted Barcelona for ‘not valuing him’ in a tearful post-match interview.
Now he has made it clear it was Bartomeu who forced him out of Barcelona, though he also criticised Koeman’s role in his exit and felt the Dutchman showed lack of character.
Asked if he felt anger towards Barca after Atletico’s title win, LuisbSuarez told El Partidazo de COPE: ‘The tears were of happiness. I will not go against Barcelona. ‘It was because of the situation. I will always be grateful to Barcelona.’
Press further on whether he was unhappy with the way Barcelona conducted themselves last summer, Suarez said: ‘I’m never going to go against Barcelona, they have given me everything and allowed me to get to the elite, but obviously the president [Bartomeu] said everything in the press instead of calling me.
‘The moment they wanted Leo [Messi] to stay they called me to use me to convince him, to talk to [Antoine] Griezmann… so why didn’t they call me when they wanted me to leave?
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‘Or why did the coach not come and tell me that he does not count on me because he wants another type of striker?
‘Koeman told me I wasn’t in his plans, then he said “If we don’t figure this out by tomorrow, you’re back in my plans and I’m counting on you against Villarreal.”
‘I saw then that the man had no personality. He was not strong enough to tell me I was not needed. The decision [to sell] came from the board.’
Asked if the 34-year-old has received any messages of congratulations from Bartomeu or previous members of the club’s board, Suarez replied: ‘No-one congratulated me, but I nearly sent them a photo!’
Meanwhile, Suarez also confirmed his intention to stay in Madrid, adding: ‘I am happy here and it is impossible to say that I am leaving.’
