10 Players Who Rejected Real Madrid

Having already tried and failed to poach Neymar away from Barcelona’s noses, Real Madrid wanted to make sure to not repeat the same mistake a year later when Luis Suarez sought a move away from Liverpool and all the vilification that came attached to him following an incident where he bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini, which subsequently landed him a three-month ban from all football activity.

On the field, his exploits the previous season saw him secure the Golden Boot with 31 goals in 33 Premier League, as the Merseysiders came tantalisingly close to winning their first top flight title in 24 years.

Off the field, though, in the aftermath of what happened in Brazil, he felt unfairly treated by the English press who he felt didn’t judge him as a player, whilst also hinting he could play elsewhere.

Probed more on this by an Uruguayan radio station, the subject turned to interest from Real Madrid, to which Suarez responded:

“To say no to Madrid would be difficult and more so because of the team they have.”

However, he later revealed Barcelona’s support for him after the incident as a crucial factor in his decision to move there:

“There were possibilities to join Real Madrid but when I hear Barcelona were interested, I didn’t hesitate for a moment.”