Luis Suarez is one of several players who will pay the price for Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich.The 33-year-old’s contract will be terminated after newly-appointed head coach Ronald Koeman decided he doesn’t feature in his plans for the new season.Suarez, who scored 21 goals in 36 games for Barça during the 2019-20 campaign, has one year left on his current deal but the club have decided to offload him as soon as possible.For many fans, the news of Suarez’s imminent departure isn’t that disappointing.The club’s supporters are acutely aware that a rebuild is absolutely necessary after crashing out of the Champions League in the most embarrassing fashion, weeks after losing out to fierce rivals Real Madrid in the La Liga title race, and Suarez has looked particularly sluggish over the past 12 months.Barça have an ageing squad in desperate need of some fresh blood and Koeman, it seems, is being ruthless with his decision making.
On Monday, per Catalan newspaper Sport, Koeman phoned Suarez to inform him of his decision.The phone call lasted less than one minute and Suarez, having been told that he is no longer in Barcelona’s plans, was left with no option but to accept the decision.He didn’t ask for more explanations and the phone call was brought to an abrupt end.But Suarez, according to multiple reports from Spain, is not happy.
COPE say that Suarez is agitated by Koeman’s call. He doesn’t believe a one-minute phone call is an appropriate way to treat a player who has done so much for the club over the past six years.
Understandably, the South American feels he deserved a more fitting farewell after being unceremoniously dumped over the phone.
Sport add that Suarez also feels like he’s been unfairly singled out for what’s happened at Camp Nou and fears it could damage his reputation as a Barcelona legend.
Remember, Suarez is Barça’s third-highest goalscorer in history. Only Lionel Messi (634 goals) and Cesar (232) have scored more goals for the Catalan giants.
Furthermore, he wasn’t contacted by under-fire president Josep Maria Bartomeu or anyone else at the club amid reports that Koeman wanted him to leave.
All in all, it’s easy to see why Suarez is upset. He *did* deserve better than this.
Also, if Barcelona want to get Messi back onside, this is hardly the way to do it.
Messi and Suarez are close friends on and off the pitch. They’ve even holidayed together with their families.
Messi is disillusioned at Barcelona and has told the club he wants to leave.
Koeman has told the six-time Ballon d’Or winner he’s desperate for him to stay.
But Koeman and Barcelona’s eyebrow-raising treatment of his closest pal in football may convince Messi that leaving this summer really would be in his best interests.