Madrid (AFP)

Barcelona made a "big mistake" by ceding Luis Suarez to Atlético Madrid, Uruguayan compatriot Diego Forlan told AFP.

And for the former striker of the "Colchoneros", the latter have now "completely erased" their status as eternal second before the Madrid derby Atlético-Real Sunday in La Liga.

Q: Did Barça make a mistake in transferring your compatriot Luis Suarez (34) to Atlético, a direct opponent on several tables?

A: "Of course it was a mistake. As soon as Barcelona said he was on the transfer list I knew it was a mistake. It was just obvious he was still a player. very important to this team, it showed. He scores, passes, and he's also a player with a big impact off the field too. It shows that they miss it. It's like when Cristiano Ronaldo had left Real Madrid. It wasn't just Cristiano Ronaldo leaving, one of the best players in football history ... It was also 50 goals a year. 50 goals! "

Q: Is Suarez now looking to prove to Barca that they were wrong to sell him?

A: "I think anyone would like to prove to people that they were wrong in this situation. When you get punished for something you didn't do, when you are still on top physically, when you play well, good sure that your goal is to prove that you can still perform. Now he is playing well, in a club fighting for the title, and with Uruguay he will play in the World Cup (in 2022), which will be maybe his last. He still has a lot of goals to accomplish. Luis still has a lot to give. "

Q: Now that Suarez has left Catalonia, do you think Lionel Messi could also leave Barca?

A: "In life, nobody is indispensable. Nobody. Not even Messi. I know he is one of the best players in football history, but another player will come. (If he leaves) , La Liga will adapt. Maybe (Kylian) Mbappé will come. Maybe (Erling) Haaland will come. Barcelona took advantage of Messi for a very long time, he won so many titles and broke so many records ... but FC Barcelona existed before Messi. They had Cruyff, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho ... And he will continue to live afterwards. "

Q: Is Suarez taking advantage of the fact that the pressure of the results is less heavy at Atlético than at Barcelona?

A: "If Barça or Real Madrid have a year of transition and they don't win anything, it will be considered a failure. Atlético has this advantage: there is more patience, there is no the same pressure as in Barcelona or Real Madrid, who have to win every year. "

Q: Your arrival at Atlético in 2007 coincided with the return to the continental foreground of the club ... Have the "Colchoneros" ceased to be eternal second?

A: "There was always this feeling that + everything could be fine, but everyone expects the worst. + When I arrived, we wanted to change that mentality more than anything. And when (coach Diego) Simeone arrived (in 2011), I think they completely erased that. Atlético are a strong team, a great club, with a very nice stadium. They are fighting for a second La Liga title under the Simeone era. No one likes facing Atlético, whether in La Liga or the Champions League. They have earned that respect, for everything they have built. This pessimistic spirit must be forgotten. They lose two Champions League finals. narrowly (in 2014 and 2016, editor's note). They won the Copa del Rey, the Europa League, La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup ... This team knows how to win. Sometimes, of course, you sometimes lose . But for them, it would be a mistake now to always think of the worst. "

Q: What memories do you have of your time at Atlético (2007-2011)?

A: "What happiness. We had good and bad times. We arrived after a dark period, where everything was negative. We had good matches, less good matches, and it was difficult to change this. culture. We qualified for the Champions League twice in a row (2008 and 2009), then we won the Europa League (2010), and then we changed the fate of the club. a big step for us and for the club. It was the start of something. "

Interview by Tom ALLNUTT.

© 2021 AFP