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After World Cup biting incident, Luis Suarez was moved to tears by Barcelona's interest
Luis Suarez was sure he had ruined his move from Liverpool to Barcelona. He was caught for the third time in his career biting an opponent during the 2014 World Cup and FIFA came down hard, banning him from any soccer-related activity for four months over the controversial incident.
But Barcelona maintained their interest in the striker anyway, paying £65 million to sign the Uruguayan for the 2014-15 season, and now Suarez reveals it was something that not only shocked him but touched him and moved him to tears.
"I remember during that time, I spoke with Andoni [Zubizarreta] and I spent most of the time crying because I couldn't believe they still liked me and wanted me," he told El Periodico via Marca. "It gave me great determination to get back.
"Sometimes I look at photos and videos of those days. I was locked up in a 10x10 mini-gym with Juanjo [Brau] looking for places to go running without the press discovering me. ... My kids would ask me why I wasn't with the team and I'd tell them, without lying. It was a very hard time."
The move looked like it could be a big risk for Barcelona. If Suarez had been caught biting an opponent again, as he had when he played for Ajax, Liverpool and for the Uruguay national team, he likely would've faced a very harsh punishment from FIFA. Instead, Suarez has enjoyed a breakout run with Barcelona and, though he wasn't able to earn recognition ahead of perennial favorites Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, he was arguably the best player in all of Europe last season.
It hasn't hurt that, in Barcelona, Suarez has teamed up with two of the best players right now, Messi and Neymar.
"It is the dream of any No.9 to play alongside two of the best players in the world," he said in the same interview. "When you are playing in close games, they open them and make a difference."
The trio won the La Liga title last season and could be on their way to another one, especially since Suarez has been on his best behavior and unwilling to repeat his past controversies.
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