Luis Suarez “behaved like a rat” during a Champions League reunion with Liverpool, says John Aldridge, with the Barcelona striker’s antics at Camp Nou considered to be “not acceptable”.
A former Anfield favourite opened his European goal account for 2018-19 during a meeting with familiar faces in Catalunya.
The Uruguayan had admitted prior to the first leg of a semi-final showdown that he intended to celebrate if finding the target.
He stuck to his word when breaking the deadlock in a 3-0 win for Barcelona, with there no room for sentiment in the world of a forward very much focused on the present.
Aldridge has no issue with a frontman revelling in the emotion of hitting the net but feels a man with strong ties to Liverpool should have shown more respect in other areas of his game.
The ex-Reds star told the Irish Independent: “Suarez behaved like a rat in the Champions League semi-final against Liverpool and it was out of order.
“I don’t have any problem with him celebrating his goal against Liverpool. Just because he used to wear a red shirt, it doesn’t mean he has to pretend he is not excited to score a great goal in a massive Champions League game.
“What was not acceptable was his antics on and off the ball, as he got into the faces of Liverpool players, fell over any time anyone went near him and tried to get his opponents booked at every opportunity.
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“He was sneaky, he was nasty and he was everything people used to tell us Suarez was when everyone at Liverpool was trying to defend him.
“We know this is a guy who would run over his granny to score a goal, but everyone should have some respect for those who have been good to you in the past, but Suarez threw the support Liverpool gave him back in our faces.”
Aldridge feels Jurgen Klopp’s side should now be looking to exact some form of revenge on Suarez when he returns to Merseyside on Tuesday.
He feels the fiery South American could be pushed to breaking point by Liverpool as they seek to complete the most remarkable of turnarounds on home soil and book a final berth.
“If I was in that Liverpool dressing room, I’d hatch a plan to wind him up and get him sent off,” added Aldridge.
“We know he has a short fuse and can lose it if he is pushed to the limits, so play him at his own game and try and get him rattled. Let’s see how he likes it when the Liverpool fans and the Anfield crowd turn against him.
“That might be the best chance Liverpool have got to come back into the tie because at 3-0 down, it looks like a long way back for Jurgen Klopp’s side.”
