Inter Miami forward Luis Suárez has opened up about the intense criticism faced by the club’s star players, saying social media has created unrealistic expectations around their performances.
The veteran Uruguayan striker said players such as himself, Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul are constantly judged based on their latest results, regardless of their overall contribution to the team.
Suárez explained that criticism can quickly increase after a defeat, while victories are sometimes dismissed by fans and critics.
He used the team’s upcoming title match as an example, saying a defeat would likely lead to headlines about another final lost by Inter Miami’s high-profile players.
“If we lose the title, they’ll say ‘another final lost by Messi, Suarez, De Paul. Inter Miami loses again with great players.’ If we win, they’ll say it means nothing,” Suárez said.
The former Barcelona striker also pointed to the way individual performances are judged.
According to Suárez, scoring several goals can lead to claims that the level of competition makes it easy, while a short goal drought can immediately result in suggestions that a player is finished.
“If we score a hat trick, they say it’s easy in the MLS, if we go two games without scoring, they say we’re done for,” he said.
Suárez believes such criticism has become a regular part of football because of the influence of social media.
He said players must learn to deal with the constant comments and opinions that come with playing for a high-profile club.
“The criticism will always be there,” he added.
