Luis Suarez 'feels like a footballer again' at Barcelona
Luis Suarez says he is ‘starting to feel like a footballer again’ after being given permission to train with the Barcelona squad during his suspension.
The Uruguayan striker is currently serving a four-month suspension from competitive football for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup finals in Brazil.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld that decision last month but ruled Suarez could train with Barcelona, who bought him from Liverpool during the summer transfer window.
"The truth is that you suffer a lot," Suarez said. "It gives you a feeling of impotence not being able to do anything from the outside except talk and shout.
“Being able to tell my children that I am going to work gives me a feeling of calm. I am starting to feel like a footballer again.”
The Chiellini incident was the latest in a string of controversies involving Suarez, who had previously been banned - twice for biting opponents, and once while playing for Liverpool when he was accused of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.
The striker is aware that such controversies will mean he faces more scrutiny than at any time of his career when he finally makes his Barcelona debut.
"This time, being at the world's best club, there will be many more eyes on me than before," Suarez said.
“So you have to be careful confronted with all these things and you have to take the responsibility and be intelligent in that sense."