Suarez attacks Koeman over handling of exit

Luis Suarez has launched a stinging attack on Ronald Koeman, claiming the Barcelona boss “lacked personality” to tell him straight who wanted him out of the Nou Camp.

Ex-Liverpool star Suarez slammed his former manager, saying his 40-second phone call to tell him he was not in his plans was “not the way to get rid of a legend”.

Suarez came back to haunt his old club yet again on Saturday, scoring for Atletico Madrid in a 2-0 win over which turned up the heat on under-fire Barcelona boss Koeman.

The 34-year-old was sold to Atletico for just £5.5million last summer – and it proved a bargain buy, with Suarez netting 21 goals to help fire Diego Simeone’s side to the La Liga title.

After he scored on Saturday to inflict a first league defeat of the season on the Catalan club, Suarez denied that his phone call celebration had been directed at Koeman.

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But he has now publicly criticised the Dutch manager, who is under increasing pressure after Barcelona also lost their opening two Champions League games.

“The Koeman phone call to tell me that he was not counting on me lasted 40 seconds, it is not the way to get rid of a legend,” Suarez told Gerard Romero’s Jijantes FCT witch channel via MARCA.

“First he told me that I would not be in his plans and then he told me that if I did not resolve my contract I was going to play [in the first game of the season] against Villarreal.

“He lacked personality to tell me things clearly, if he did not want me or if it was really the club that did not want me.”

Suarez spent six years at Barcelona, scoring 195 goals in 283 games after joining from Liverpool in 2014, and helping to win the Champions League, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup as well as four La Liga crowns.

The end of his career at the Nou Camp came around the same time as Lionel Messi handed in a transfer request, with the Argentine superstar eventually staying on for another season before joining PSG on a free transfer.

Recalling the period, Suarez said: “They were very difficult days because of everything I gave to the club. I spoke with [his wife] Sofía and Leo after the call.