On another palpable Champions League night at Anfield, Liverpool, yet again, proved their mettle against an underperforming Atletico Madrid side as the hosts cruised to a 2-0 victory on Wednesday; securing qualification for the next stage of the competition.
Goals from Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota proved enough as a sensational performance by Trent Alexander-Arnold added to the fervour at Anfield.
However, while the exultance of the emphatic win reverberated throughout Anfield, cameras also caught on the home support booing former and opposition player, Luis Suarez, every time the Uruguayan received the ball at his feet.
Suarez, who left the club during his prime years to join Barcelona in 2014, has since always been a divisive figure amongst the Reds’ fan base.
While some remained grateful – clapping and cheering – at Suarez’s return to Merseyside, others chose to voice their discontent towards him, around the stadium and online.
At Anfield, boos echoed around the stadium the moment Suarez’s name was announced on the team sheet. The Uruguayan was met by a non-reticent Anfield, with no glistening reception given to the striker.
It's fair to say Luis Suarez received a mixed reaction from the Liverpool fan's last night…… Few boos there 😳 https://t.co/qUDVDpqP7a
On Twitter, few fans remained contentious, providing justifications such as Suarez’s racism allegations, his “disrespectful” goal-celebration during Liverpool’s clash against Barcelona in 2019, and his decision to force a move away from Liverpool, among others, as reasons for their contempt towards the Uruguayan.
Luis Suarez was excellent at Liverpool.
But he went on strike to try and force a move… To ARSENAL!
He racially abused a player, dragging the club through the mud.
He bit 2 players whilst a Liverpool player (1 playing for Uruguay)
Many others, however, were dismissive of those who resorted to booing and displaying their discontent towards him and defended the player by understating his valuable years of service towards the club, at a time when the Reds’ were at their lowest in the Premier League – not to mention his unforgettable goal-scoring record and exceptional contribution towards the Reds’ remarkable title-challenging season in 2013.
I cant be having that booing of Suarez man. He gave 110% every week for 3 and a half years playing with some of the players weve ever had
Nevertheless, having had a storied career since leaving the Merseyside club, Suarez will likely continue being a divisive figure amongst the fanbase. The Reds maintained their unbeaten run defeating Atletico, and travel to London on Sunday facing West Ham United in the Premier League.
