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September 25, 2020

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Tearful Suarez says goodbye to Barca

Luis Suarez highlighted his close friendship with Lionel Messi as he bid a teary farewell to Barcelona yesterday ahead of his move to La Liga title rival Atletico Madrid.

Messi had failed to dovetail with other top strikers such as Samuel Eto’o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Villa but took no time at all to gel with Suarez, who became his best friend at the club as well as a prolific strike partner.

“When I got to Barcelona everyone said be careful with Leo, that he was the main striker at the club,” an emotional Suarez said at a news conference attended by Messi and fellow Barca teammates Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba.

“But in our time together we always tried to perform as well as we could and I can leave here feeling very proud.”

Messi also looked set to be leaving Barca before walking back on his threat to end his contract unilaterally, and Suarez lashed out at the stories that appeared in the media about the two players’ influence on the club.

“It has been a crazy month, many things have been said and leaked that were invented, many things that made me angry. But everyone knows how good a relationship I have with Leo,” the Uruguayan added.

Suarez joined Barca from Liverpool in 2014 after making global headlines for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini in the World Cup, which meant he was banned for the first four months.

But he soon formed a deadly partnership with Messi and Neymar, winning a treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in his first season.

He leaves after lifting 13 trophies and hitting 198 goals to become the club’s third all-time top scorer.

“I’m grateful to the club for trusting in me in 2014 after I made an error, it wasn’t easy to accept that and they treated me marvellously since I arrived,” Suarez said. “I came here to fulfil a dream, to play for the best club in the world and I should be very proud of everything I did.

“I suffered a lot but I’ll remember the good times, the goals I scored alongside the best player of all time.”

Elsewhere, Chelsea signed Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy from French club Rennes on a five-year deal, the English Premier League side said yesterday.

Financial details of the transfer were not disclosed but media reported Chelsea paid around 22 million pounds (US$28.01 million) for the 28-year-old who had three years left on his Rennes contract.

France-born Mendy played 33 games in all competitions for Rennes last season as it finished third in Ligue 1 to qualify for the Champions League.

He becomes the second goalkeeper to make the switch from Rennes to Chelsea following Petr Cech’s move in 2004.

Mendy’s signing follows the arrivals of full back Ben Chilwell, striker Timo Werner and wingers Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz, with the overall outlay totalling more than 200 million pounds. The London club also signed defenders Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr on free transfers.

Chelsea’s decision to boost its goalkeeping options follows Spaniard Kepa Arrizabalaga’s dip in form since last season, with his latest error coming in the 2-0 defeat by champion Liverpool last Sunday.

Chelsea, which finished fourth last term to qualify for the Champions League in manager Frank Lampard’s first campaign in charge, faces West Bromwich Albion tomorrow.




 

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