Luis Suarez may not be 21 anymore but his 21st goal of the Liga season won the title for Atletico Madrid on an incredibly dramatic final day.
Last summer, the Uruguayan was let go by Barcelona, who wanted to refresh their squad. The Blaugrana told him he was no longer wanted, that he was too old, not good enough anymore. It was exactly the fuel he needed to revive his career.
Suarez thrives on doubters, haters and naysayers. And, at 34 years old, he fired Atletico to their first league triumph since 2014, proving a point to his former employers.
The striker met with his close friend, former team-mate and neighbour Lionel Messi in midweek, dining in the Spanish capital, and it’s easy to imagine the Argentine told Suarez to seal the title for Atletico, stopping champions Real Madrid from defending their trophy in the process.
Sent clean through on goal, Suarez’s strike against Real Valladolid was Atletico’s season in a microcosm. He was slowing down, puffing, and yet still going, able to fire home and finish it at the death.
Real Madrid and Barcelona cut the struggling Atletico back from up to 12 points behind in early 2021, tension rising in the red-and-white quarter of Madrid as the hounds closed in.
