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It’s been two summers since Liverpool sold Luis Suarez to Barcelona. Two summers since the club came as close as they ever have in the Premier League era to winning the most important trophy in English football—only to come up short then lose the star who had carried them to within two points of the title. It’s been two summers, and still many can’t let it go.
Every time Suarez talks about his past, his future, his time in England. Every Liverpool fan seems to become interested. At times, a few words from Suarez can seem a bigger Liverpool story than if they had come from any of at least half the current squad. Maybe all of them. So the fans will certainly be looking forward to the reunion on Saturday. And so too will Suarez.
“It’s a really nice moment for the supporters,” said the ex-Liverpool man. “I have some friends there, and I think it’s a really good moment to come back to play against Liverpool. I think for players when you play in front of 90,000 people, it’s a dream. Liverpool’s support is one of the best in the world and I think they are excited for the game.”
Liverpool are set to take on Barcelona—to take on Saurez first and foremost—on Saturday from Wembley in the biggest game of pre-season for Liverpool and the biggest game of this year’s International Champions Cup. It’s likely neither side will win this year’s competition—or, if they do, that anyone will remember it in a year—but for this one match, interest is sky high.
“Everybody knows Liverpool is so important in my life, in my career, and my family as well,” Suarez added of Saturday’s meeting. “My second child was born there. It’s important for this game that it’s a friendly game because if it was in the Champions League or a really good tournament, it’d be difficult to play against Liverpool. But a friendly game is to enjoy.”
Apparently, like most of the rest of us, Luis Suarez doesn’t rate the ICC a “really good tournament,” either. Still, friendly or not, ICC or not, a win is always better. Certainly for Suarez that will be the case, and for Liverpool fans a victory a week before the season kicks off would serve as proof the club is on the right track heading into Jürgen Klopp’s first full season.