SM
Newcastle vs. West Ham: 22 hrs 17 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Andoni Zubizarreta praises "humble" Luis Suarez

:Headline: Andoni Zubizarreta praises 'humble' Luis Suarez: ID:162771: from db_amp
Barcelona's director Andoni Zubizarreta hails Luis Suarez for apologising over his recent biting misdemeanor, amid reports linking the striker with the Spanish club.

Barcelona's sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta has provided the biggest indication yet that his club are keen to sign Luis Suarez this summer.

Liverpool's Uruguayan international has dominated the headlines over the last week after he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup group encounter - an offence that has since earned him a four-month suspension.

It is the third time that Suarez has committed that transgression on the pitch and the second since he arrived on Merseyside from Ajax in January 2011, which has resulted in reports that the Reds have lost patience with last season's leading goalscorer.

Immediate speculation linked Barca with a move for the 27-year-old, but it was believed that they would only push forward with the transfer if Suarez issued a public apology for his actions in Natal. Having said nothing in the days that followed the incident, Suarez did say sorry in a statement last night, which is thought to have paved the way for him to sign on at the Camp Nou.

When asked for his reaction to Suarez's apology at a press conference this afternoon, Zubizarreta said: "Suarez has shown he is humble enough to admit an error, which is very important. He has been humble enough to apologise to those he has affected, because it happened in the middle of a festival of football. In this case it's the best thing a person can do.

"Everyone knows that Luis is an excellent player, everyone knows last season he played in various positions in attack, but everyone also knows that he is a Liverpool player."

Meanwhile, Barca's new signing, Croatia international Ivan Rakitic, who was being unveiled at the conference, added: "The fact he has had the character and the strength to go in front of everyone and say sorry says a lot about him as a person. Not every person has that strength to admit they have done something stupid. I rarely say that I am wrong so this says a lot about him, he has shown the character and strength he has so he should be commended for that.

"Regardless of whether the club signs him or not, his quality is unquestionable. He has shown a lot of quality with Uruguay and scored more than 30 goals [last season] with Liverpool, so he has the necessary quality to play for Barca."

It has been reported that Liverpool had no part in the drafting of Suarez's concession statement.

amp_article__162771 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2014-07-01 15:33:17:
html db last update - 2014-07-01 15:33:17 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Luis Suarez

Click here for more stories about Liverpool

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .