Luis Suarez, the Uruguayan striker, was one of the most crucial players of Barcelona football club. He joined Barcelona in 2014 and had a significant impact on the team’s performance.
However, in September 2020, Barcelona announced that they had sold Suarez to their rival club Atletico Madrid. This news came as a surprise to many football fans who were wondering why Barcelona would let go of such an important player. In this article, we will explore the reasons why Barcelona sold Suarez.
Age and Injuries
One of the primary reasons why Barcelona sold Suarez was his age and injury concerns. Suarez is now 34 years old, and although he has been a prolific goal scorer for both Liverpool and Barcelona throughout his career, age catches up with every player eventually.
In addition to his age, Suarez has also been plagued by injuries in recent years. The striker missed several matches during the 2019-20 season due to an injury.
New Manager’s Plans
Another reason why Barcelona sold Suarez was due to the new manager’s plans for the team. Ronald Koeman took over as Barcelona’s manager in August 2020 after Quique Setien was sacked following the humiliating defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Koeman wanted to revamp the team and bring in younger players who could play his preferred style of football.
Financial Constraints
Barcelona is currently facing severe financial constraints due to COVID-19 pandemic and mismanagement by previous management teams. The club needed to reduce its wage bill significantly to stay within La Liga’s wage cap limits for this season. By selling Suarez, who was one of their highest-paid players, they were able to free up a substantial amount of money from their wage bill.
Personal Issues
Apart from these reasons mentioned above, there were also some personal issues between Suarez and the club’s management. Suarez had a public fallout with Barcelona’s former president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, over his contract and future at the club. There were also reports that Suarez had a strained relationship with Lionel Messi, Barcelona’s star player.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Barcelona sold Luis Suarez due to a combination of age and injury concerns, new manager’s plans for the team, financial constraints faced by the club, and personal issues between Suarez and the management. While it was a tough decision for Barcelona to make, they needed to make some difficult choices to ensure that they remain competitive in La Liga and the Champions League in the coming seasons.