"Barça wanted to keep me away from Messi" Israel today

About a month after leaving the Camp Nou and signing for Atletico, Luis Suarez claims the club management did not like his relationship with the flea

• Suarez in Atletico uniform.

  Angry at Barcelona management

  Photography: 

  AFP

Luis Suarez says in an interview with ESPN that he believes Barcelona forced him to leave the club just because of his relationship with Lionel Messi.

The 33-year-old Suarez joined Atletico Madrid last month after becoming the third scorer in the history of the Catalans in his 6 years at the Camp Nou with 198 goals.

The departure of the Uruguayan striker has been presented as a means of cost-saving while Barça is in an economic crisis following the spread of the corona virus in the last nine months.

"There are a lot of contradictions in what they say. I would have looked for a solution if it was a financial problem and if it was a sports issue I could understand. It is not clear to me why they made the decision they made. "Maybe with Leo. Maybe they did not want him to be close to me, I see no reason for it to hurt the team," said Suarez.

Suarez with Messi.

"They wanted him to collaborate with more players" // Photo: Reuters 

The veteran striker added: "We were constantly looking for each other on the pitch but for the benefit of the team. Maybe they wanted him to collaborate with more players. It could be related to that. I find no other reason to want to separate us."

On Messi's desire to leave Barcelona this summer, he said: "His decision to leave should have been respected. He gave things to a club that could never have been imagined. There may be a possibility he will play for another club but if he feels comfortable and happy he will want to stay at the club. I would be happy if things work out for him there. "