Luis Suárez (1-24-1987, Salto, Uruguay) says goodbye to Atlético de Madrid after two seasons as a mattress player. The striker went through the microphones of SER’s ‘El Larguero’ to analyze these two campaigns as a rojiblanco and his future plans.
Do you remember the goal against Osasuna: “Unforgettable”.
Packing…: “Now calm down waiting for the children to finish school and then make the best decision. The right one to be able to compete and play in the World Cup in the best conditions”.
Where will you play in the future?: “I haven’t decided. I swear I haven’t. There are many proposals, many calls. I listen to everyone and I don’t close the door on anyone.”
Qatar, United States, China…: “It’s not in my head yet. I’m not thinking about money but about a high level of sport to get to the World Cup in good shape. That’s Europe. I get a lot of calls from Mexico, Brazil, Argentina…”.
Would you have liked to continue at Atlético?: “Yes, I would have liked it. I was delighted, fulfilling a role that I wasn’t used to, but I accepted it in a good way. I also knew that the demand was getting bigger and bigger, with colleagues at a high level, but trained to fulfill what I The coach asked. But the chances didn’t come up.”
Who tells him that he will not continue?: “Rafa Alique (the club’s communication director) told me the day before I was fired. He told me that they were going to fire me. I didn’t know anything. I’m 35 years old, I sensed something and I was already thinking about my future In November we met with the club, we agreed to talk in February and Alique told me the day before the tribute, my answer was “well, someone in the club told me something”.
Did you talk to Simeone later?: “No, nothing. Neither with Berta, nor with Miguel Ángel Gil”
Was the change of role in the team hard? How did you find out? “I spoke with the coach and told him that I accepted it, but I was going to make it difficult for him. At some point I wondered what had happened, because it was just after the Osasuna game, where I scored that goal from distance, and he stopped playing. Enter João and Correa, who break it. I accept it. Then, in April, Cholo tells me that he was making decisions, that he saw other players better and I accepted it. I don’t ask when I play, nor when I don’t. I get angry because I’m competitive and I want to play.”
What did you feel at the farewell?: “It was exciting because of the people’s affection, for everything, because they valued what I did these two years and I was also moved by my children, who were able to see that. Leaving Barcelona was very difficult.”
Have you already forgotten about Barça?: “Yes, it’s far away. I did what I had to do. My fear was if I came to Atleti and it didn’t work out for me… But I trusted, Atlético too, the coach, my teammates… And to win a League with a team that had been playing for years That I didn’t win it and scoring that goal was incredible. I enjoyed it a lot. Although at Barça I left my life and a big mark”.
Do you get the feeling that Atleti was made for you?: “Because of his way of playing and his characteristics, yes. In 2014, before signing for Barça, they asked me at a press conference if he saw me at Barça and I said no, he didn’t see me. In 2013 I had the opportunity to come to Atleti, talking to Cholo, but it didn’t happen. If he had come then, he would have grabbed Suárez faster, more warrior and we would have created a nice story.”