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LaLiga: Koeman explains why Barcelonas Suarez should have joined Juventus instead of Atletico

 

Barcelona boss, Ronald Koeman, has said that Luis Suarez joining Juventus instead of Atletico Madrid would have been better for the Blaugrana because the striker would have left Spain.

After six years at Camp Nou, Suarez left Barcelona last summer to join Atletico Madrid after failing to join Juventus.

Koeman deemed the 34-year-old surplus to requirements after being appointed as Barcelona’s new permanent coach.

“It’s part of your job. You speak to the club — and when I came as a coach to Barcelona, we had our opinions, and I had the information out of the club — and then finally you make decisions,” Koeman told The Athletic.

“You need to make these decisions because if it goes well, then it’s OK, but if it doesn’t go well, then it needs to be my way, and that’s the most important thing.

“We are changing, and of course, it would have been better that Luis Suarez signed for Juventus instead of Atletico Madrid because he’s still in the Spanish league.

“But that kind of decision, we had to make it, really tough ones but showing respect to the player, and I think that’s really important. And I still agree with what we did at that time.”

Koeman added: “Nobody told me, ‘You need to win something’. Everybody in the club realizes that we are in a season of transition, and of course, we like to compete for the titles, for the cups, for the league, but they know they cannot expect that we will win the Champions League.

“Maybe we can beat PSG (in the last 16 in a fortnight), maybe we can get to the semi-final, but more clubs are better at this moment, they are more favourites to win something big than Barcelona is.

“But Barcelona will come back, no problem.”

Suarez has scored 14 goals in his 16 La Liga appearances for Atletico Madrid so far this season.

The Uruguayan international helped Diego Simeone’s side to open up a 10-point lead at the top of the La Liga table, ahead of second-place Barcelona.

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