FC Barcelona news: Luis Suarez admits feeling 'sad and hurt' by club exit

Former FC Barcelona striker Luis Suarez is fitting in quite nicely with the Atletico Madrid squad. However, following his sudden exit from the Catalan giants over the summer, the Uruguay international admits that he is "sad and hurt" by the way he was forced out of his former club.

Barcelona is undergoing a complete overhaul after a mediocre 2019-2020 season. Suarez continues to see the crisis unfold as he watches from the Spanish capital. In particular, the squad's inability to form a consistent, threatening attack has been quite evident.

Marca asked Suarez if he feels that Barcelona is missing his presence on the field. In response, he said that he just has to accept that the team no longer needed him anymore. "There was a tactical plan, or whatever you want to call it. I had to accept it because they didn't need me and everyone can draw their own conclusions," said Suarez.

He also explained that he needs to focus on his new club and his own future, but he is keeping an eye on what's happening to his former teammates. "I have to live my life at Atleti, but I feel bad that my friends are having problems," He explained.

When asked to weigh in on the situation with Barca captain Lionel Messi, Suarez refused to comment on his friend's issues on the pitch and behind the scenes. "We speak a lot, okay, but honestly when we speak it's about our lives. We've both had children's birthdays recently, we talk about life, the virus and everything else but very little about football," he said.

It may be remembered that Messi had wanted to leave the club over the summer, soon after it became clear that Suarez and many other players were being shown the door. However, Suarez says that his friendship with Messi is more centred around their lives away from the pitch. "We're more concerned with how our families are than what happens in football," he said.

Speaking further about his own future, Suarez confirmed that he is happy with the move to once bitter rivals, Atletico Madrid. "When I wasn't wanted, I found somewhere I was. I've found happiness and I'm enjoying this period," he concluded.