'I cried': Luis Suarez over treatment in final days at Barcelona
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He was forced out with one year left on his contract after being told by new coach Ronald Koeman he was no longer in the team’s plans.
Former Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has revealed that he was reduced to tears by the Catalan giants' treatment to him in the final weeks.
“Those days were very difficult. I cried because of what I was having to go through,” Suarez told the Uruguay national team’s official media after scoring in Thursday’s 2-1 win over Chile in a World Cup qualifier.
“I didn’t take the club’s message that they were looking for a solution for me in order to mix things up very well. I was hurt most of all by the way they did things, because one has to accept it when a cycle comes to an end.”
In six years as a Barca forward Suarez became third all-time top scorer with 198 goals he lifted four La Liga titles, four domestic cups and the 2015 Champions League with the Catalans before leaving for Atletico Madrid.
He was forced out with one year left on his contract after being told by new coach Ronald Koeman he was no longer in the team’s plans.
“Not everyone knows what happened but the worst thing was going to training and being sent to a different group from everyone else because I was not allowed to play in practice matches,” Suarez said.
“My wife could see how unhappy I was and she wanted to see me smile again and when the chance came to join Atletico I had no doubts.”
The striker, 33, gave a tearful farewell news conference the day before signing for Atletico while Lionel Messi, his old strike partner, hit out at the club’s treatment of the Uruguayan.
“I wasn’t surprised that Messi supported me publicly because I know him too well. He knew the pain I was going through, the feeling that I was being kicked out was what hurt me the most,” added Suarez.
“The way they did things was not right and Leo knows how me and my family suffered.”