MX23RW : Saturday, October 5 22:36:00| >> :60:1079:1079:

Andoni Zubizarreta praises "humble" Luis Suarez

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.

ID:162771: cacheID:162771:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3926:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
A close-up of Luis Suarez holding his gnashers on June 24, 2014.
Read Next:
Comolli: 'Suarez wants to play for Barca or Real'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool76011321118
2Manchester CityMan City7520178917
3Arsenal7520156917
4Chelsea6411157813
5Aston Villa6411129313
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle733187112
7Fulham7322108211
8Tottenham HotspurSpurs6312125710
9Brentford73131313010
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton623110829
11Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest62316519
12West Ham UnitedWest Ham72231011-18
13Bournemouth7223810-28
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd621358-37
15Leicester CityLeicester7133912-36
16Everton7124715-85
17Ipswich TownIpswich7043614-84
18Crystal Palace7034510-53
19Southampton7016415-111
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves7016921-121


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!