Former Reds striker Luis Suarez enjoyed a perfect end to his second spell with first club Nacional as he led the Uruguayan outfit to their 49th title with a last-day brace...against Liverpool.
The veteran forward penned a short-term deal with the Primera Division club after leaving Atletico Madrid at the end of last season.
He spearheaded Nacional to a first-place finish in the “Clasura”. The 35-year-old scored six goals and provided three assists in 13 league matches since returning to the club. Their finish during the second stage of the campaign meant they advanced to the championship playoff for the courtesy of competing for the Uruguayan crown.
Ironically, they were matched up against the winners of the first stage of the season: Liverpool Montevideo, the Uruguayan namesake of Suarez’s Merseyside-based former employers.
Clashing in the semi-final, the striker got on the scoresheet in the 50th minute of the encounter. Things were level at full-time as former Nacional forward Thiago Vecino equalised from the penalty spot, whilst Federico Pereira was given his marching orders late on.
Nacional took advantage of their extra man with Suarez putting his side back in front in the 96th minute of extra-time. Emmanuel Gigliotti rubber-stamped victory for Nacional with a brace of his own.
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With Nacional having finished top of the Clasura and aggregate tables, there was no need for a final championship play-off tie and they were crowned as champions of Uruguay for the 49th time.
Suarez’s latest victory adds to the five La Liga titles he lifted in his time in Spain with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, whilst he also won a whole host of other trophies during his spell with the Catalan giants.
It now remains to be seen what the future holds for Suarez having lifted yet another trophy. His contract with Nacional ends just after the World Cup and club president Jose Fuentes has already confirmed that he plans on moving on.
Speaking to ESPN earlier this year, he said: “When the Uruguayan Championship ends, Suarez will leave, that’s how we arranged his deal. It’s what we agreed and he made a huge effort to come here.
"I say this to avoid generating fan expectations. Suarez is leaving. We’ve asked him, and he answered the same thing as before."
He will certainly be hoping to once again make an impact on the World Cup as Uruguay pursue their third title. The ex-Liverpool star played in a couple of friendlies for his nation last month and was twice bestowed with the captain’s armband.
La Celeste take on South Korea, Portugal and Ghana in what looks like an extremely testing group having only managed to reach the quarter-finals in Russia last time out.
