Pique has given an interview to ESPNFC on Suarez’s debut when training with his teammates, after he completed the “bite-ban” he received following the famous Chiellini bite of the last World Cup.
Pique said the following:
“When we are jockeying for the ball, for example today in a training drill when I had to defend a cross and he had to attack it, I’ll give it: “Hey! Don’t bite me!” He just smiles. Luis knows it’s not right to bite in a football match.
“It’s happened, he apologised, he has to accept it and move on. In training he’s so competitive, though. He gets a kick and he won’t go down. Never. He just continues trying to score even if you kick him or pull his shirt.”
“When he arrived, he’d not trained and wasn’t playing — he was “dead” after 10 minutes of training and I’d be like, “What’s happened to you, man?!” But after two or three weeks he was fit and now he’s really in shape. He showed that with his goals against Oman.
“In training he’s unbelievable. Luis has this thing … let me put it like this: there’ll be two or three rebounds off players when he dribbles in the box and suddenly the ball is still at his feet and he scores. He creates goals from absolutely nothing.
“This is a different style of player from what we have here. Guys like [Andres] Iniesta and Xavi are really sweet on the ball. You enjoy watching them. With Luis it’s the opposite style — he’s fighting, he’s working, but finally he scores the goal. Always.”
