Monthly Archives: March 2014

I’m more angel than demon – Suarez

The striker has attracted as much criticism as praise during his controversial time in England but is adamant he is a nice person away from the pitch

Liverpool star Luis Suarez insists he is more of “an angel than a demon” despite the series of controversies that have blighted his career.

Suarez has attracted as much criticism as praise during his time in England as a result of his racism row with Patrice Evra and biting of Branislav Ivanovic.

But the Uruguayan has let his football do the talking this season, scoring an incredible 24 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions to spearhead a surprise Liverpool title surge.

And despite his past indiscretions, Suarez is adamant he is a nice person away from the football pitch.

“I think I’m more an angel than a demon,” he told Telefoot. “I’m very shy in life.”

Suarez also insisted he makes an effort to adjust to the country in which he plays, hinting he might one day consider a move to France when questioned about Paris Saint-Germain.

“I always try to learn the culture and language of the country where I play,” he added. “I did it in Netherlands and now I speak English.

“So if I play abroad in the future, I’ll learn the language and I’ll learn French if I play in France.”

But despite this, the 27-year-old remains clear on what he wants to achieve with Liverpool.

“My main objective is to play in the Champions League with Liverpool,” he revealed. “Playing a Champions League game at Anfield would be awesome.”

Koke: Messi & Ronaldo? I’d take Suarez

The Atletico Madrid man believes it would be impossible to sign the Liga stars and, despite interest from Manchester United, insists he is happy to remain at the Vicente Calderon

Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke says the player he would most like to see join the club is Liverpool star Luis Suarez, though admits the Uruguayan would probably be too expensive for los Colchoneros.

Suarez has been in sensational form for the Anfield club this season, finding the net an incredible 24 times to place him at the top of the scoring charts across Europe’s top-flight leagues.
And asked who he would take to Atleti out of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Suarez, Koke admitted that, due to his belief that it would be “impossible” to sign the Real Madrid and Barceona superstars, he would take the Liverpool striker.

He told Marca: “I think Ronaldo and Messi are impossible to sign so I would choose Suarez, but we are talking about so much money.”

When asked if he would prefer to win La Liga or the World Cup, Koke added: “It is a complicated question but I want both. Atletico is my team, where I have always played and the national team is like home, I have been playing for them since I was 15.”

Manchester United have long pursued Koke and even sent a delegation to Madrid in an attempt to thrash out a deal for the playmaker in January, although the 22-year-old is adamant that he is happy to stay put for now.

“I am happy here but in some years, who knows. I hope he [Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois] continues with us.”

‘I’ve learned from my mistakes’ – Liverpool’s Suarez not dwelling on the past

The 27-year-old says his past controversies, which include biting Branislav Ivanovic, have helped him to improve, though he is only focused on helping the Reds at present

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez says he has matured and is eager to put past misdemeanours behind him and enjoy the Anfield outfit’s promising season.

The Uruguay international has been handed two bans since arriving in the Premier League in 2011 – one for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra and another for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

However, Suarez has been in sparkling form for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season, scoring 24 league goals to put Liverpool in the hunt for the title, and has had a largely controversy-free campaign.

And the former Ajax man, who was linked with a move away from Anfield in the summer, believes he has grown up a lot in recent years and is keen to focus on his current targets, rather than dwell on mistakes of the past.

“I want to enjoy the here and now,” the 27-year-old told FourFourTwo. “Every player should live in the present, to enjoy what they’re doing. Thinking about things I did as a kid or at Ajax aren’t going to improve me on the pitch.

“I want to stay in that position and look to the future. What happened in the past happened – you have to move on.

“As the years have gone by, I’ve matured too. You become more intelligent, you think more and you learn from the errors you commit.

“I’ve always known when I’ve played well and when I’ve played badly. Now it’s the same when I know I’ve made a mistake, and when I haven’t.

“It’s from these situations that I realise how far I’ve come from leaving Uruguay as a 19-year-old. I’ve learned a lot.”

Suarez’s prolific partnership with Daniel Sturridge – they have scored 42 Premier League goals between them – has helped Liverpool to second in the table, four points behind leaders Chelsea, who visit Anfield on April 27.