World Soccer

Luis Suarez

Before sealing the La Liga title in his first season at Atletico Madrid, Luis Suarez sat down with World Soccer to discuss his career…

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It’s 15 years since you left Nacional in Uruguay to begin your career in Europe. How do you reflect on that time?

If anybody looks at 15 years of their life I am sure it is easy to find some small regrets. But I have played for some of the biggest teams in Europe, played with many of the best players ever, and won the top trophies. That was always the ambition so I can have no regrets.

When you left Barcelona last year it was suggested that you didn’t want to leave Spain. Do you feel more comfortabl­e living in Spain than in Netherland­s or England?

I enjoy living in Spain. I enjoyed Liverpool, but I knew it was always the desire of my family to live in Spain. Joining Barcelona was a profession­al decision but also a personal one as well. It was what my family wanted.

How different do you think your career might have been if you had won the Premier League title with Liverpool in 2013-14? Could that have delayed your move to Barcelona, for example? Looking back it is always hard to say. It would have been special to win the league with Liverpool, but I am glad that their wait is now over. They look like a team that will compete for many seasons to come even if this one has not been the best for them. They are back where they belong.

One player who starred alongside you in that Liverpool team was Raheem Sterling. What have you made of his improvemen­t since then? Do you consider him among the best players in the world?

There have been big changes with Raheem since I played with him at Liverpool. He always had talent but that did not always translate to goals. Now he’s one of the most prolific scorers – not just in England but in Europe. I am so pleased how things have worked out for him.

Would you like to see him play in Spain? How do you think he would perform outside the Premier League?

I don’t think Manchester City would like him to play in Spain – I don’t think they would want him to play anywhere but Manchester. He would score many goals in Spain

– he would score goals anywhere.

Your partnershi­p with Lionel Messi and Neymar was extraordin­ary. Do you miss playing with them? Will we ever see as a good a trio ever again?

It was exciting playing with Messi and Neymar. Messi is the best in history and Neymar is one of the best in the world. We had an equally good relationsh­ip off the pitch and that really helped with our performanc­es on it.

When did you learn that Neymar would join Paris Saint-Germain? How did you feel? In football it is very rare now for something to be forever. He is a friend and nobody wanted him to leave, but players move on and that is something you just have to accept.

Tell us about your relationsh­ip with

Leo Messi. Is your connection off the field still as strong as it was on it?

On the pitch he is Messi, the best player there has ever been, but off the pitch he is Leo who is my friend. From the first training session, we had a good connection and our friendship has grown over the years. We no longer play for the same team, but we are still great friends – it is a friendship that goes beyond football.

How strange was it to play against each other over the past season?

It was maybe a little strange but, as I say, in football very few things are forever. Players move on, but good friendship­s stay forever.

Do you still have regrets at how you left Barcelona last summer?

I don’t understand everything. I said at the time that I did not understand the decision, but I have moved on now. It has been a good season with Atletico!

Before moving to Atletico Madrid, did you have other options? How close were you to joining Juventus?

There were options and other options that I looked at. When I think how well I have settled in at Atletico and the faith the coach has shown in me, it was easily the right decision for me.

Was there any interest from the Premier League? Is that something you would have considered?

Playing for any team other than Liverpool in England would be hard. I had, and hope I still do have, such a good relationsh­ip with the Liverpool fans that it would be strange for me to play for somebody else.

You and Diego Simeone seem like a good match for each other. What has it been like to work with him as a manager? How does he compare with some of the other managers that you’ve played for?

He is a coach who reaches out a lot to you, who motivates you, who makes it very clear that he has faith in you. I have a lot of respect for all the faith he has shown in me, and I hope this season I have repaid all that faith.

You scored 12 goals in your first 15 La Liga games, the best start for a player at a new club in the league since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid. Why did everything click for you so quickly?

It was a league I was used to and I think that helps. There was no real adjustment period. The coach, who had a lot of belief in me, and the quality of my team-mates make playing in this team so easy.

You signed a two-year contract at Atletico. Having had such a successful season, do you think you could stay even longer? Or will you want to try a new league?

At the moment I am enjoying my time here. We are showing what we are capable of and my team-mates have made me very welcome. I enjoy it here, we are settled in Spain – there is no need to think about me leaving.

You have often been linked with a transfer to MLS, maybe at David Beckham’s Inter Miami, for example. Is that something you would like to explore one day?

The MLS is an attractive place to be. The league is getting stronger season after season and it would be interestin­g to live in the United States. I can see why it is an attractive option for many players.

Or perhaps a move to play for your old team-mate, Steven Gerrard?

I think Stevie is doing just fine without me! I am pleased but not at all surprised to see him win the league with Rangers. Winning is what he does and at some point in the future I am sure he will be at Liverpool again.

Interview by Donald Deane

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