Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has this evening opened up on the prospect of lining out at Anfield versus former club Liverpool tomorrow night, as well as his behaviour versus the Reds last week.
Liverpool’s uphill task
The Blaugrana are set to travel to Merseyside, for the second-leg of their Champions League semi-final showdown.
Ernesto Valverde’s men will head into proceedings as overwhelming favourites to advance, having downed Liverpool by 3 goals to nil in the tie’s opener last week.
Luis Suarez opened the game’s scoring with 26 minutes on the clock, before a late Lionel Messi brace (including a stunning trademark free-kick) all-but secured Barca’s place in the competition’s finale.
‘I am sorry’
While tomorrow night’s clash is set to come as a season-defining one for all involved with both Liverpool and Barcelona, it will mark a particularly-special one for two players.
The pair in question are Blaugrana attackers Luis Suarez and Phillipe Coutinho, after both enjoyed hugely-successful stints at Anfield before making the move to the Camp Nou.
Suarez, though, was heavily-criticized for his behaviour during last week’s first-leg, with the Uruguayan’s passionate celebration and trademark antics having angered many Liverpool fans.
As such, speaking in an interview ahead of his return to Merseyside, the Uruguayan hitman was this evening drawn on his relationship with the Reds’ faithful, as well as whether or not he intends to celebrate finding the net tomorrow night:
‘Celebrating the goal last week? People who know about football, who love this sport, know about the importance of this goal.’
‘I have all the respect in the world for the Liverpool fans. I scored and celebrated with my fans.’
‘I say sorry (if anyone was offended). But the Liverpool fans would applaud me. I am very thankful to Liverpool, to the fans and the club, and it is clear if I score a goal against Liverpool I won’t celebrate it in the same way I didn’t celebrate in Holland when I scored (for Ajax against Groningen). ‘
Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League Semi-final match between Barcelona and Liverpool. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
‘More applause than whistles’
Suarez continued:
‘I am thankful for Liverpool. I think I was here for three and a half years and the team had been four or five years without being in the Champions League. In the last year I was here, we got in the Champions League. I think people know the work I did here. I am thankful to the club.’
‘I think there will be more applause than whistles. And I think if people want to whistle and that makes them happy… there may be quite a few who are not happy but I think there will be more who are happy and grateful.’
‘I think you see the people in the kitchen are waiting to give me a present for my children. So you see the love that is still there and the warmth that is still there for me. I have a son (Benji) who was born here and this was the first stadium he went to.’