The Champions League final takes place this weekend between Juventus and Barcelona and one Barcelona striker will be keen to steal the show – Luis Suarez.
To say Uruguayan international, Luis Suarez, has had a pretty eventful career in football since he first burst onto the scene with Ajax in 2007, would certainly be something of an understatement.
Whether it be through biting three different opponents on three different occasions out on the pitch, reportedly racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in the Premier League back in 2011, or simply providing the world of modern day football with one of the biggest cheats the sport has ever seen – the 28-year-old Barcelona striker has certainly made his fair share of enemies in recent seasons.
None of this is to detract from the Barcelona player’s overall skill-set and ability in front of goal however, for even the most ardent anti-Suarez fans out there would have to admit that he is truly blessed with the ball at his feet. Perhaps only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can be seen as better players than the Barcelona no. 9 at this current moment in time.
The former Liverpool forward is a simply sublime footballer, yet as a man the question marks are still viably raised. With this weekend’s Champions League final rapidly approaching for the Uruguayan however – does Luis Suarez finally deserve to be forgiven for his checkered past in the 2015 Champions League final, or are his actions simply beyond redemption?
Well, for Barcelona fans in particular nowadays, it must be pretty hard to hold Luis Suarez, the player, in anything other than a positive light. When it comes to linking up with his teammates effectively in the final third, possessing extreme levels of skill and ball control all across the pitch – and obviously knowing how to find the back of the net successfully in front of goal – there are very few players out there who can rival Suarez in terms of ability.
With the Champions League final fast approaching, the South American could well go down as the best out-in-out striker currently plying his trade in the modern game. Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski just doesn’t reach the same level of standards as Suarez, Karim Benzema equally doesn’t match his contribution – and as for Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero in the Premier League this season – the Argentine’s fitness levels have seen him unable to offer as much as his Barcelona counterpart with all things considered.
Luis Suarez simply seems unaffected by pressure on the big stage. The Juventus defence have no choice but to be on their game all night, for even if they keep the controversial Uruguayan quiet for the majority of the match, Giorgio Chiellini and co. will still have keep a watchful eye over both Neymar and Lionel Messi in the final third. The task of dealing with such a strike-force therefore arrives as a pretty tough one for the Italians.
Having said that though, are we ultimately being too quick to forget all the negativity that has followed Luis Suarez since he first began his journey in European football?
His goal-line hand-ball against Ghana in the 2010 World Cup should have given us a huge warning sign for what was to come from the striker in the future – and as his shameless celebration displayed after Asamoah Gyan struck the crossbar from the following penalty – this was a player certainly not scared of testing footballing morals.
The drama would seemingly fail to end there however. The former Anfield favourite’s later dispute with Patrice Evra may have ended in pretty confusing circumstances, but through his constant diving in and around the box, pure desire to cheat in big matches, and unquestionable problems in the biting department – Luis Suarez must be seen as bit of a pain, as much as a fantastic footballer.
He subsequently has to go down as a polarizing character within the modern footballing community. It seems a shame that someone as gifted as Suarez should have to turn to transgression on the football pitch time and time again, rather than relying on his pure natural ability instead. As such players often require the dark side of their game to become one of the world’s greats however, perhaps the desire to separate Suarez from his animal instincts out on the field is one ultimately born out of impossibility.
With both Evra and Chiellini maybe looking to extract some past revenge on the Uruguayan international for his previous acts though, the current Barcelona sensation may just receive some much needed justice in the Champions League final this weekend.
As his side still nevertheless go down as the clear favourites ahead of the face-off however, it will likely be Luis Suarez’ footballing ability that prevails above all else come Saturday evening.
Champions League Final Betting Tips:
Barcelona to win – 7/1 with Paddy Power.
Barcelona to win – 6/1 with Ladbrokes.
Barcelona to lift the trophy – 4/1 with Betfair.
Messi to score and Barcelona to win – 10/1 with Coral.
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