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After 122 days, Suarez prepares for Barca baptism of fire

Much Has Changed Since Suarez Sunk His Teeth Into The Shoulder Of Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini At The World Cup Back In June. He Was Lambasted And Ridiculed In Equal Measure By Commentators The World Over, Handed A Four-month Ban From By FIFA As The Bite Was His Third Offence And Changed Clubs.

PTI | Updated on: 23 Oct 2014, 01:10:02 PM

Madrid:

After 122 days Luis Suarez will be free to take part in a competitive match again and not just any game, but the biggest one in world football when Barcelona face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

Much has changed since Suarez sunk his teeth into the shoulder of Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup back in June. He was lambasted and ridiculed in equal measure by commentators the world over, handed a four-month ban from by FIFA as the bite was his third offence and changed clubs.

Suarez admitted recently he feared his latest indiscretion would result in dream move from Liverpool to Barca falling through, but the Catalans instead invested their faith and 75 million ($127 million, 95 million euros) in the Uruguayan’s undoubted ability.

“I was scared that they would call it off, as a repercussion of the incident. I was aware that could have happened,” he said. “By then the contact had begun with Barca and soon (his agent) Pere Guardiola would ring me and tell me it was done.

“I began to cry, for the situation I was going through and the faith Barca had shown in me. I felt really happy for the commitment the club were demonstrating in me.”

The time for the repayment of that faith has now come. Suarez’s 31 Premier League goals took Liverpool to the verge of a first title in 24 years last season and saw him crowned both the players’ and writers’ player of the year.

Yet, he will have to get used to being a smaller fish in a bigger pond at Barca.

Suarez joins an already star-studded and in-form forward line in four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and Brazilian captain Neymar in a lineup beyond the budgets of even the majority of fantasy football managers.

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First Published : 23 Oct 2014, 01:03:00 PM

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