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.
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.
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.
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.