The Uruguayan striker was allowed to leave Camp Nou for Atletico Madrid in 2020, with a Dutch coach making contradictory claims
Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez has accused Ronald Koeman of having “no personaility” on the back of his muddled departure from Barcelona in the summer of 2020.
Those at Camp Nou surprisingly took the decision to part with a prolific frontman shortly after another change in the dugout was made, with a proven 34-year-old linking up with a La Liga rival.
Suarez has fired Atletico to title glory in 2020-21, while those in Catalunya have struggled for consistency, and he has lifted a lid on the confusing messages that led to him ending a six-year stint with the Blaugrana.
What has been said?
Uruguay international Suarez has told El Partidazo de COPE: “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 [Josep Maria 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?
“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.”
Embraced by Atletico
While Barca ushered Suarez out of the back door, he was welcomed to Wanda Metropolitano with open arms.
Atletico could hardly believe their luck when learning that domestic foes were prepared to discuss a deal for one of the finest finishers of the modern era, with Diego Simeone wasting little time in putting an agreement in place.
He has told F360 on ESPN: “When the possibility came up [for Atletico to sign Suarez] the club called me and told me: ‘What’s your opinion on Luis Suarez?’ And I replied: ‘Are you serious?’.
“Don’t ask me, let’s go for it and they let me speak to him.
“When I spoke to him, the first thing that I said to him was: ‘Look, Luis, we need to win and you want to win, so the door is open’.”
Suarez hit 21 goals for Atletico in the 2020-21 campaign, with all of those efforts coming in La Liga as the Rojiblancos secured a first top-flight crown in seven years.
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