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Luis Suárez: ‘I’ve paid for bite error – it needs to be forgotten about’ Luis Suárez: ‘I’ve paid for bite error – it needs to be forgotten’
(35 minutes later)
Luis Suárez said he has paid for his biting “error” and it “needs to be forgotten about” after training with his new Barcelona team-mates for the first time. Luis Suárez said he has paid for his biting “error” and it “needs to be forgotten about” after training with his Barcelona team-mates for the first time.
The Uruguay forward was relieved to get on the practice pitch with Baça on Friday morning after the court of arbitration for sport relaxed the “excessive” elements of the four-month ban incurred for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup. But he declared it is time to move on from the whole affair. The Uruguay forward was relieved to get on the practice pitch with Barça on Friday morning after the court of arbitration for sport relaxed the “excessive” elements of the four-month ban incurred for biting the Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup.
“I’m very happy to feel like a footballer again and to be with my team-mates,” Suárez told the club’s official website. Suárez said it is time to move on from the whole affair. “I’m very happy to feel like a footballer again and to be with my team-mates,” he told the club’s website.
“I was really looking forward to starting. The situation made me feel very uncomfortable. I’m paying for an error I committed and have apologised for, but it needs to be forgotten about. Now I have to think about the future, which is Barcelona, the club I dreamed about playing for.” “I was really looking forward to starting. The situation made me feel very uncomfortable. I’m paying for an error I committed and have apologised for but it needs to be forgotten about. Now I have to think about the future, which is Barcelona, the club I dreamed about playing for.”
Suárez completed a £75million move to the Catalans in July but had been forced to train away from his team-mates due to the ban. The 27-year-old failed in his appeal to have the entire suspension - covering “all football-related activity” - removed, but was permitted to train and play in friendlies for club and country after the CAS ruled the punishment was overly harsh. Suárez completed a £75m move in July but had been forced to train away from his team-mates owing to the ban. The 27-year-old failed in his appeal to have the entire suspension – covering “all football-related activity” – removed but was permitted to train and play in friendlies for club and country after the CAS ruled the punishment was overly harsh.
Suárez will be presented in front of Barcelona fans at the Camp Nou before Monday’s friendly against the Mexican side León, when he could make his debut for the Blaugrana. However, he will have to wait until the weekend of 25 October to make his competitive debut - the weekend of the first Clásico of the 2014-15 La Liga campaign against arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. Suárez will be presented in front of Barcelona fans at Camp Nou before Monday’s friendly against the Mexican side León, when he could make his debut. He will have to wait until the weekend of 25 October to make his competitive debut – the weekend of the first clásico of the La Liga season against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu.
“Now I have to wait to play again, to meet the fans and feel what it’s like to play at the Nou Camp,” Suárez added. “Now I have to wait to play again, to meet the fans and feel what it’s like to play at the Nou Camp,” Suárez said. “I’m very grateful to the club for everything they have done for me in the past few weeks and days. They have treated me very well and I’m grateful to them because I’ve completed a dream, which is to play for Barcelona.”
“I’m very grateful to the club for everything they have done for me in the past few weeks and days. They have treated me very well and I’m grateful to them because I’ve completed a dream, which is to play for Barcelona.” The court felt Suárez’s ban broadly fitted the crime – having “committed an act of assault” – but believed extending it beyond the pitch was excessive, even taking into account it was the third time he had been found guilty of biting an opponent after incidents with PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal and Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic.
The Cas felt Suárez’s ban broadly fitted the crime – having “committed an act of assault” – but believed extending it beyond the pitch was excessive, even taking into account it was the third time he had been found guilty of biting an opponent after incidents with PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal and Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. Neymar also trained with the main group on Friday, despite not having been given the medical all-clear after breaking a bone in his back during Brazil’s 2-1 World Cup quarter-final win over Colombia.
Neymar also trained with the main group on Friday, the club confirmed on their website, despite not having been given the medical all-clear after breaking a bone in his back during Brazil’s 2-1 World Cup quarter-final win over Colombia. Xavi Hernández, who has agreed to play on for at least one more season despite being linked with a move to either Qatar or the United States, was also involved, while the former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen continued with specific physiotherapy work.
Xavi Hernández, who has agreed to play on for at least one more season despite being linked with a move to either Qatar or the United States over the summer, was also involved, while the former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen continued with specific physio work. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, signed from Borussia Mönchengladbach, had been ruled out for three weeks with a back injury, meaning the Chile international Claudio Bravo is set to start in goal for the league opener at home to Elche on 24 August.
Barcelona also confirmed, however, that new signing Marc-Andre ter Stegen had been ruled out for three weeks with a back injury, meaning the Chile international Claudio Bravo is set to start in goal for the league opener at home to Elche on 24 August.