Suarez deserves disastrous Barcelona fate for what he did to Ghana - Ex-France star

Published on: 13 May 2019
Suarez deserves disastrous Barcelona fate for what he did to Ghana - Ex-France star
Luis Suarez preventing Ghana's ball from entering the net against Uruguay at the 2010 World Cup

Former France defender Frank Leboeuf has revealed his delight over Barcelona crashing out of the 2019 UEFA Champions League, insisting it is Luis Suarez's punishment for using his hand to prevent Ghana from reaching the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup.

Barcelona were shockingly dumped out of this season's UEFA Champions League following a 4-3 aggregate lose against English side Liverpool in midweek.

During the game at Anfield, Suarez was roundly booed by Reds fans throughout the tie after his wild celebration against them after opening the scoring in the first leg.

And Leboeuf says though he is a fan of the Blaugrana, he was glad to see them and Suarez go out of the competition in such dramatic fashion.

"I like Barcelona a lot, but I was delighted that they weren't in the final because of Luis Suarez," he told RMC Sport.

"I don't have any kind of respect for a player like him.

"Yes, he's a great player and he's having a great career, but he's a shyster, a complainer, a guy who I don't have any respect for.

"I can't stand a player like that on the football pitch, he's a bad example for young people.

Leboeuf also touched on the antics of the Barca No. 7 during Uruguay famous penalty shootout win against Ghana in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The West Africa giants were on the verge of becoming the first African side to qualify for a World Cup semi-final – just a penalty kick away from making history at Africa’s World Cup.

It had been a frantic final few moments of a last-eight encounter with Uruguay.

A teeming Soccer City had dragged its continental counterparts through 120 minutes when, with the score at 1-1 and in the dying seconds of extra time, Uruguay’s Luis Suarez used his right hand to slap away Dominic Adiyiah’s goal-bound header on the line.

Suarez was sent off, but a sure goal became a not-so-sure penalty kick and a deserved victory withered in the cold Johannesburg night.

Asamoah Gyan, for so long Ghana’s protagonist, placed the ball on the spot, but as the host continent held its breath, he crashed his shot against the crossbar.

It was the last kick of the game. Suarez stood by the tunnel, watching on the stadium’s giant screen. He erupted in celebration.

"What he did with the handball against Ghana at the World Cup, he was very happy, the two times he's bitten rivals.

"If he played against me, they'd send me off, it surprises me that his rivals have cold blood against him, I'd do anything to make sure he didn't finish the game either."

Suarez has undergone surgery on his knee which looks to have ended his season, though he hopes to return for the Copa America with Uruguay in June.

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