By RYAN TOLMICH
Despite having more than a month remaining on his ban, Luis Suarez is set to take the field Wednesday wearing Barcelona colors.
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique confirmed that the Uruguayan, who is serving a suspension for biting defender Giorgio Chiellini in this summer’s World Cup, is scheduled to feature in Wednesday’s Barcelona B friendly against an Indonesian national selection.
“For Luis Suarez to play a game is beneficial, even if with Barca B it will be with a different team,” Enrique said. “The player wants to play, and to pick up match fitness, and he will play tomorrow.”
Suarez, who previously made his debut for the club in an August friendly against Club Leon, is scheduled to return from suspension on Oct. 25 against Real Madrid.
Here are some more news and notes to kickoff your Monday morning:
BORUSSIA DORTMUND’S KLOPP CONCERNED BY MODERN SCHEDULES
With grueling league seasons, cluttered international breaks and midweek European adventures, the life of a top soccer player can get tiresome. However, Jurgen Klopp believes his players are suffering from more than tired legs, as the Borussia Dortmund manager believes modern schedules are leading players towards early retirements.
Klopp, who sees as many as six players set to miss Wednesday’s clash with Stuttgart due to injury, echoed the sentiments of Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola, who said that current scheduling “is killing the players”.
“In 10 years, there will be no player left who hangs up his boots at 35,” Klopp said. “Former players turned high-ranking officials forget about the workload during their careers too soon.
“You have to begin to turn back time. But instead, in 2016, a European Championship with 24 teams will be staged, just because some folks enjoy that. But it doesn’t really make sense for the players.”
ESPANYOL THREATENING TO BOYCOTT COPA CATALUNYA MATCH WITH BARCELONA
As an officially sanctioned competition, the Copa Catalynya is supposed to be a display of the best teams that that Catalonia region has to offer. However, Espanyol feel that the selections of Barcelona ensure that that is not the case.
Espanyol president Joan Collet says his side is threatening to boycott their Oct. 29 Supercup match against Barcelona due to the club’s constant fielding of weaker sides for the Catalonia tournament. The Oct. 29 date, which is a Wednesday, was originally chosen to accommodate Barcelona in an effort to allow the club to play their first team.
“We are tired that every year it is the same,” Collet said. “A day comes, the game is called off, or the date does not suit Barcelona well. We are not sure Barcelona will play their first team, and if we do not get that assurance the competition will probably not be played.”
Meanwhile, Barcelona manager Luis Enrique attempted to diffuse the situation, insisting that he was unsure of which players would feature.
“I know the Catalunya Supercopa is on Oct. 29, which is more than a month and a week away,” Enrique said. “We will use players on the Champions League list, and those who usually help us, but I do not know which ones.”
QUICK KICKS
Manchester City midfielder James Milner is reluctant to sign a new contract with the club due to a lack of playing time. (REPORT)
Ivan Rakitic and Neymar are both available for Barcelona’s visit to Malaga Wednesday. (REPORT)
Arsenal defenders Kieran Gibbs and Per Mertesacker will both be available for Saturday’s London derby with Tottenham. (REPORT)
QPR defender Steven Caulker was mistakenly arrested after being wrongly accused of stealing cheese from a supermarket. (REPORT)
—
How do you think Suarez will perform this season for Barcelona? Do you agree with Klopp’s view of modern schedules? What do you think of Espanyol’s potential boycott?
Share your thoughts below.
Yet another Cheese/Soccer connection!
QPR defender Steven Caulker was mistakenly arrested after being wrongly accused of stealing cheese from a supermarket
Did someone warn Suarez that Indonesians are spicy?
He loves spicy meat. That is why he is playing!
Fully support Espanyol, both as a club and in the boycott. The bandwagon world wide and the favoritism in the city towards Barca is not appealing.
This has nothing to do with football. It’s all political. Barcelona FC has become a symbol of Catalonian independence, where Espanyol is and always has, been a symbol of Spanish nationalism and the monarchy.
Barca B and Indonesia are teams in their own right playing a game, how is this not a violation of his ban?
If all he had to do was switch teams, wouldn’t the first move have done the trick?
I think he’s allowed to play friendlies, which is why he played against Leon. League and cup games are not allowed. I think he could even play in international friendlies but Uruguay’s coach decided not to call him up.
I have always considered that any kind of meaningful suspension in athletics includes a ban keeping the player from participating in any team activities whatsoever; this includes contact with coaches or officials, organized training, or exhibtion participation. This ‘suspension’ is simply lip-service, particularly for a repeat offender such as Suarez; a more stringent ban, one actually worthy of that word, would have been totally justified, but was completely avoided. The corruption in high level professional athletics is imbedded deep and takes many forms; it is essentially a hydra, it will never die as long as professional still exists, no matter how hard you fight it. Oh well.
Walter Sobchak screaming this is not Nam there are rules for some reason comes to mind.
It’s also the Indonesian U-20 team.
He can’t wait to get a taste of those youngsters.
Well played, sir.