Madrid: Barcelona defender Gerard Pique believes an “angry” Luis Suarez will be desperate to prove himself when he has served out a four-month ban for a biting incident at the World Cup.
Uruguay striker Suarez was given a nine-match international suspension and banned from all football-related activity for four months by Fifa after he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in Brazil last month.
Barca have since lured him from English Premier League side Liverpool and the 27-year-old could make his debut for the Catalan club in the La Liga “Clasico” against Real Madrid at the end of October.
“I expect that he [Suarez], like anybody who has the possibility of doing their work taken away from them, will be feeling rage,” Pique said at a news conference at Barca’s pre-season training camp in England.
“For the time being he has to wait,” added the Spain defender. “When he returns he will be full of desire to show that he is one of the best forwards on the planet.”
Suarez will join Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Brazil forward Neymar in a formidable attack as Barca seek to bounce back from a disappointing 2013-14 season when they failed to win major silverware for the first time in six years.
They have a new coach at the helm in former Barca and Spain midfielder Luis Enrique and begin their La Liga campaign at home to Elche on the weekend of August 23/24.
Meanwhile, France international Antoine Griezmann said Thursday he hopes to learn from his new teammates at Atletico Madrid as he was unveiled as the Spanish champion’s new signing before thousands of fans.
Griezmann, who impressed for France during the World Cup, has moved to Atletico from Real Sociedad on a six-season contract.
Spanish media said Atletico paid about €30 million (Dh148 million) for the 23-year-old, which if correct would make him the second most expensive signing in the club’s history.
“When they called me I agreed right away, it’s a great club, a great project, we are talking about the Champions League finalists and the current La Liga champions so I did not even think twice,” the 23-year-old told a news conference.
Griezmann scored 16 goals for Real Sociedad last season and had been linked to several clubs across Europe, including Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
He will link up at Atletico with Turkish international Arda Turan and Croatian international Mario Manduzkic, a fellow new signing, in an impressive front three as Atletico look to defend their La Liga title from big-spending Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Griezmann came through Real Sociedad’s youth system, having joined the club as a 13-year-old, before making his first-team debut in 2009 and going on to score 53 goals in 202 appearances.
He has been capped nine times for France and has netted on three occasions.
