Luis Suárez, in his presentation to Messi’s Inter Miami: “I thought Leo would finish his career at Barcelona”

Minutes after participating in his first practice with his new (and old) teammates InterMiamiHey, Luis Suarez was happy with this new challenge in his career which allowed him, on the eve of turning 37, to find himself Lionel Messi and also with the Spaniards Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, participants of the most successful Barcelona team in history. According to the Uruguayan, that meeting was one of the reasons that pushed him to take this step.

“We experienced great moments together in the club we dreamed of. “One of the reasons I came was to meet them again”Suárez said in a press conference held after the preseason kick-off. “We are friends and we know each other very well on the pitch, we have a competitive DNA and we always want to win. We are ambitious and professional, we will try to teach these very talented young people that it is not age that counts, but rather commitment and sacrifice.”He added.

The Uruguayan said that until recently he could not imagine sharing the team with his old teammates again, with whom he lived for six seasons in the Catalan capital. “I thought Leo would finish his career at Barcelona, ​​as well as Sergio and Jordi. But football is changing a lot. In 2018 we imagined retiring to Barcelona. “First I left, then they left me behind.”he detailed.

The all-time leading scorer of the Uruguayan national team has revealed that his compatriot Nicolás Lodeiro was his main source of information on the world of Major League Soccer (MLS) and daily life in the United States. “I spoke with Nico very often. One of the first times was in 2019, already at that time I wanted to come. But I still felt good about continuing in Europe and I was given the chance to join Atlético de Madrid. Then I returned to my country, then I went to Brazil. Now I was given the chance and I was thrilled that there were colleagues and friends“he has declared.

Suárez began this Saturday a pre-season in which his team will play seven friendly matches (the first will be on Friday 19 January against the team from El Salvador) before the start of the official competition in a season in which the Herons Four tournaments will be played: the first points match will be Wednesday 21 February against Real Salt Lake for the first match of the MLS.

“I am adapting to my teammates and to the club and I am happy with this new challenge in this new team which has objectives that excite me very much. Football is about the challenges you face. And this club offers me the chance to win an MLS, which it has never done”, said Suárez, underlining the importance of “Have a good pre-season, get into the rhythm and be in good physical shape by the 21st (February)”.

The striker was also excited about the possibility of playing the Copa América mid-year in the United States. “I am a national team player and I always want to be there. I had the chance to step aside after the World Cup (in Qatar), but I felt good and felt I could still help out wherever I could. Depending on my performance on the pitch, I will be there or not. Depending on how he is physically and in the game, The coach (Marcelo Bielsa) will see if I can contribute to the group wherever he is.“held.