Luis Suarez has revealed it is the support of the Barcelona fans that has allowed him to stay positive during his biting ban.
Suarez was suspended for four months by FIFA for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the Italy vs. Uruguay World Cup fixture in June.
FIFA imposed a ban from all football, which meant he was unable to train with his country or his new club, after completing a move to Camp Nou from Liverpool.
An appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport lifted part of the ban, allowing Suarez to train with Barca and make his first appearance in club colours, in the friendly win over Leon.
But Suarez remains suspended from competitive club action until the end of October. The first game for which he will be available will be the Clasico against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu.
He told interviews with Barca TV and BeIn Sports that the prospect of playing against Madrid is part of what helps drive him, as does the backing of the supporters.
“The Clasico is something motivating. For me it’s the biggest game in history,” Mundo Deportivo reports Suarez as saying.
“Everyone knows what it means to the world.
“The support of the people is a reward that keeps me training every day, getting on the field is compensation.
“The result [of the appeal to CAS] has given me the opportunity to train, to feel like a footballer, being with my teammates and live day after day.
“It was hard to me to train in a 10×10 rectangle. I didn’t feel like a footballer. I’m calmer now I’m working with my teammates.
“The players greeted me in a spectacular way. They really made me feel part of the group and I’ve not felt uncomfortable at any time.
“Amazing things are happening to me at Barcelona. I didn’t expect this. I’m at the best club in the world.”
Suarez added that when he is able to play regularly under Coach Luis Enrique, he is willing to take any role within the team.
“I’ve played in all positions in attack. I’m not a striker to stay still in one position,” he continued.
“I’ll try to adapt to whatever Enrique asks of me. He knows me and knows how I play.”
