Atletico Madrid

MADRID — Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa looked forward to a fruitful partnership with new team mate Luis Suarez after his side thrashed Granada 6-1 on Sunday, making a cheeky reference to the Uruguayan's disciplinary problems over the years.

Costa opened the scoring with a headed goal and then came off the pitch in the second half to make way for Suarez, who quickly made his mark following his switch from Barcelona by scoring twice and providing an assist in the final 20 minutes.

MADRID — Luis Suarez had a stunning impact on his debut for Atletico Madrid following his move from Barcelona, scoring twice and providing an assist as his side crushed Granada 6-1 at home in their first game of the La Liga season on Sunday.

Suarez, who only completed his switch from Barca on Friday, started on the bench and came on midway through the second half with his side already three goals up thanks to strikes from Diego Costa, Angel Correa and Joao Felix.

BARCELONA — Luis Suarez highlighted his close friendship with Lionel Messi as he bid a teary farewell to Barcelona on Thursday ahead of his move to LaLiga title rivals Atletico Madrid.

Messi had failed to dovetail with other top strikers such as Samuel Eto'o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Villa but took no time at all to gel with Suarez, who became his best friend at the club as well as a prolific strike partner.

BARCELONA — Atletico Madrid has signed Luis Suárez from Barcelona with the Uruguayan striker penning a two-year deal, the Spanish clubs said on Wednesday, bringing to an end his six-year stint at the Camp Nou. Barca's statement said the Luis Suarez transfer fee from Atletico will be six million euros ($7 million) in bonus payments.

The moment has finally arrived, and with it, the tears of a clown inside his Range Rover Sport. 

A month ago, in the wake of the Lisbon disaster and the resulting farce of president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s ill-conceived list of untouchables, Luis Suárez put on a brave face and declared himself ready to continue at the Camp Nou by any means necessary, even if it meant riding the pine.

ROME — Italian prosecutors said on Tuesday they had evidence that the language exam taken by Barcelona's Uruguay striker Luis Suarez to obtain Italian citizenship ahead of a possible move to Juventus was rigged.

Suarez, whose wife is of Italian descent, passed the exam last Thursday at the University for Foreigners in Perugia.

It cleared the way for a fast-track citizenship approval which would mean Juventus could sign him without exceeding its permitted quota of non-EU players, but suspicions were quickly raised in the media that he was given preferential treatment.

Barcelona striker Luis Suárez has agreed a deal with the club to end his contract and settled on personal terms with Atlético Madrid, according to reports in Spain on Monday.

The Catalans' third top scorer of all time was told he was not wanted by new Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman and has been looking for a new club. Suárez, 33, who has one year to run on his Barcelona contract, agreed a deal with the club to cut it short, reports said.

The La Liga season restarts Saturday, September 12, and Real Madrid will again be heavy favorites for the title. Los Blancos used a late surge to overtake rivals Barcelona and win the league by five points.

The final 2019-20 La Liga table pic.twitter.com/RBzufwDvDQ

— Goal (@goal) July 19, 2020

LISBON — For the first time in 13 years, there is no Spanish team in the semifinals of the Champions League and the way in which Barcelona were dumped out, with an 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich, emphatically ended the era of LaLiga supremacy.

There was one basic similarity in the way that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid exited Europe this season — they simply looked too slow.

It is not that their players individually lack speed but that their styles of play lack the intensity and dynamism, the relentless pressing of the top German and English teams.