“It is a pity that he could not leave with a great tribute” – Xavi urges Barcelona fans to welcome Luis Suarez with ‘standing ovation’

Barcelona manager Xavi has urged the home crowd to give former player Luis Suarez a standing ovation when they play Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday.

The Uruguayan, who enjoyed six glorious years at the club, is set to return to Camp Nou for the second time since his acrimonious departure.

He was deemed "too old" by the club, who also thought Suarez could no longer "play at a high level." Hence, the club offloaded him to Atletico in the summer of 2020 for a meager €6 million in a stunning transfer.

El Pistolero responded by guiding the Rojiblancos to a La Liga title last year, scoring 21 times from 32 games.

Ahead of their reunion tomorrow, Xavi, also his former team-mate, hopes the Barcelona fans will receive him with a great reception.

Speaking at a press conference earlier today, he said:

"We are talking about the best center forward of the last 20-30 years, along with Eto'o'. He must be received with honors. It is a pity that he could not leave with a great tribute. I hope the fans receive him with a standing ovation."

Barcelona signed the striker in 2014 from Liverpool for a hefty €82.3 million. He was a bang for the buck, scoring 195 goals in all competitions from 283 games over the next six years.

He won 13 titles in the process, including a treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League in his first season. He also forged a fearsome attacking partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar.

The 35-year-old drew a blank in his first game back in Catalonia last year in a 0-0 draw. However, he scored against them in a 2-0 victory at the Wanda Metropolitano in the reverse fixture in October.

Barcelona coach ready for another "final" against Atletico

Atletico are currently three league games unbeaten against Barcelona, their worst record against the side in the competition so far. They haven't scored even once during that period.

Their recent form hasn't been inspiring either, winning just once in their last four games in all competitions. The win came against Alaves (1-0) in La Liga on Monday, courtesy of an 87th-minute strike from Frenkie de Jong.

Xavi expects another tough match tomorrow but urges his side to aim for nothing less than a win. He said:

"Tomorrow is another final for us, we play against the current champion. A very tough team, with a coach with whom they play almost by heart. We play at home, with the support from the public, after a month and a half."

He added:

"We want to show that we have trained well, that we have good feelings and we want to compete. These are three vital points. It is a direct rival. It is a match of almost six points, a final for us. stop and compete well".