Luis Suárez may now be playing in Major League Soccer alongside Lionel Messi, but not long ago, he was regarded as one of the finest strikers in world football, enjoying a highly successful career in Europe.
The Uruguayan forward remains one of the greatest attackers in the sport’s history, and despite being 38 years old, he continues to play at a competitive level in the MLS.
Many Juventus fans still remember how close he came to joining their club from Barcelona in 2020, after the Spanish giants decided to part ways with him. As part of the transfer process, Suárez took an Italian language test to obtain an EU spot in the squad. However, reports later emerged that he had received assistance in passing the exam, leading to controversy. The fallout from the incident ultimately prevented the transfer from materialising, and instead, he moved to Atlético Madrid, where he went on to win another La Liga title.
Juventus had previously attempted to sign Suárez much earlier in his career, specifically in 2012 when he was playing for Liverpool. At that time, he was still in the early stages of his spell at Anfield and was eager to move. However, he has now revealed the reason why he ultimately decided against joining the Italian side.
As quoted by Tuttomercatoweb, Suárez explained:
“In 2012, I wanted to go to Juventus, but Brendan Rodgers convinced me to stay, with his ideas about football.”
Looking back, had Juventus managed to secure his signature in 2012, it is tempting to speculate that they might have had a greater chance of winning the Champions League with him leading their attack. His incredible goal-scoring ability and winning mentality could have made a significant difference in the club’s European ambitions during that period.
