Luis nodded Many of the things he regretted most in his football career were related to reckless moments on the pitch He just needed to win every game and sometimes he went too far Don’t worry I won’t let you guys down he added with a serious face Then a grin broke out After the game it’ll just be my goals that people are talking about For most of his teammates this was yet another Champions League Final But it was Luis’s first and he was shaking with a combination of nerves and excitement The atmosphere was incredible the anthem the fans the perfect pitch It was like no other game he had ever played As he passed the ball around in a little triangle with Messi and Neymar he had no doubts about the result of the game With all their star players how could they not score three or four goals He placed the ball in the centre circle He would be getting the first touch of the final When the whistle blew for kick-off Luis felt like he could run all day Barcelona took an early lead and Juventus equalised in the second half but Luis struggled to 14 LUIS SUÁREZ
find his best form Was it just the big occasion that was getting to him He worked hard but nothing was falling for him With twenty-five minutes to go he even feared that he might be substituted Clapping his hands he urged his teammates to do more saying Leo let’s go Let’s make something happen One of Luis’s biggest strengths was that he never gave up and always believed that a chance would come his way From his earliest years he just knew where to be at the right moment to score goals There’s still time he told himself Things can change in a second Then it happened Messi dribbled past three Juventus defenders and Luis saw his teammate preparing to take a shot His instincts took over He wasn’t going to watch the shot As soon as Messi pulled his leg back to shoot Luis was racing towards the goal looking for a rebound Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon made the save but the ball bounced loose None of the defenders had a chance Luis was too quick Before they could move he had pounced on the ball and fired a shot into the top corner 1515 EL PISTOLERO
Suddenly as the emotions took over everything was a blur He jumped over the advertising boards onto the athletics track that surrounded the pitch Lionel Neymar Dani and the rest of his teammates joined him climbing on his back and burying him in hugs He had saved the day That was such a classic Suárez goal Dani yelled You shoot you score that’s why you’re El Pistolero As he jogged back to the halfway line Luis couldn’t stop smiling He loved scoring in big finals From the first time he kicked a ball he had always wanted to be the goalscorer and the hero While the game was stopped for a substitution he allowed his mind to wander just for a minute back to his beloved Uruguay where it all began 16 LUIS SUÁREZ
CHAPTER 2 Learning the Base-ics I’ll be back for dinner Paolo called to his parents as he opened the door I’ve got to go My friends are waiting Hearing his brother’s voice Luis leapt off his bed and raced into the hallway Wait Are you going to the football pitches Can I come with you Paolo turned and looked at his little brother He had excitement all over his face Luis always wanted to play football with the older boys but every time he was told he was too young Today Paolo was feeling generous friends And you’ll have to be careful The other boys are all ten or eleven Don’t get hurt Okay but don’t say anything silly in front of my 17
