The Uruguayan, who enjoyed six glorious years at the club, is set to return to Camp Nou for the second time since his acrimonious departure.
He was deemed “too old” by the club, who also thought Suarez could no longer “play at a high level.” Hence, the club offloaded him to Atletico in the summer of 2020 for a meager €6 million in a stunning transfer.
El Pistolero responded by guiding the Rojiblancos to a La Liga title last year, scoring 21 times from 32 games.
Ahead of their reunion tomorrow, Xavi, also his former team-mate, hopes the Barcelona fans will receive him with a great reception.
Speaking at a press conference earlier today, he said:
Barcelona signed the striker in 2014 from Liverpool for a hefty €82.3 million. He was a bang for the buck, scoring 195 goals in all competitions from 283 games over the next six years.
He won 13 titles in the process, including a treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in his first season. He also forged a fearsome attacking partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar.
The 35-year-old drew a blank in his first game back in Catalonia last year in a 0-0 draw. However, he scored against them in a 2-0 victory at the Wanda Metropolitano in the reverse fixture in October.
Barcelona coach ready for another “final” against Atletico
Atletico are currently three league games unbeaten against Barcelona, their worst record against the side in the competition so far. They haven’t scored even once during that period.
Their recent form hasn’t been inspiring either, winning just once in their last four games in all competitions. The win came against Alaves (1-0) in La Liga on Monday, courtesy of an 87th-minute strike from Frenkie de Jong.
Xavi expects another tough match tomorrow but urges his side to aim for nothing less than a win. He said:
He added:
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