Luis Suárez: ‘I had always dreamed of being at this club'

“Obviously, a striker lives for goals,” says Luis Suárez. But, for Suárez, scoring is not of paramount importance.

After all, he says, sometimes strikers take great shots and miss, while other times “you hit the ball badly and it goes in.”

“So,” given the importance of getting into shape for the long season ahead, “really, goals are what matter least to me.”

Suárez, who had just four days of training after the World Cup and some vacation time before Barça’s first official match, has been focused on getting back into the swing of things, espcially in light of the fact that this was a world cup year, in which the major stars did double duty.

“Of course I was a bit slow and heavy-footed,” he admits. But, as more games are played, you feel better and better, he says. “And eventually you hit 100 per cent.”

Don’t miss the full interview, in which Suárez talks about the wear and tear of a World Cup year; this season’s Champions League — in which Barça was drawn into a highly challenging group; his friend and teammate Leo Messi; the overall state of the team; and whether or not he sees himself retiring at Barça.