Barcelona: "We let LaLiga escape from our grasp" – Luis Suárez
Barcelona need to be self-critical and take responsibility for letting Real Madrid back into the title race, admits centre-forward Luis Suárez.
Luis Suárez believes Barcelona only have themselves to blame for letting LaLiga slip from their fingers. The Uruguyan admits that winning the title is now practically impossible. With just two league games remaining, Barça are four points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Dropped points allowed Madrid to pull away
Quique Setién's men looked on track for the title but have dropped points in three of their past seven matches. Suárez said Barcelona needed to take responsibility for letting the league slip, admitting it was impossible to win – Madrid could be crowned champions on Thursday if they beat Villarreal or alternatively, if Barcelona lose at home to Osasuna.
"In the league you have to be self-critical – we let it escape ourselves," he told Mundo Deportivo. "We are aware that we depended on ourselves and do not find any excuse. Now, for our pride and for the prestige of Barça, we have to win the remaining two games and then focus fully on the only title we can fight, which is the Champions League. If we perform at the level of why we are at this club, we can fight anyone. A failure in a match can be expensive, so we have to be very vigilant and we need everyone to be able to get the Champions League."
Suárez won't use VAR as an excuse
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu and defender Gerard Piqué have been among those to question the use of VAR after several decisions went Real Madrid's way in recent matches. However, Suárez refused to use that as an excuse for his side, instead lamenting the draws against Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Atlético Madrid.
"It is clear that if we had been up to the task in games like against Sevilla, a rival who can easily hold you to a draw, and especially in Vigo, which was a very hard blow and Atlético Madrid right after," the forward said. "Minimising the details of the VAR is sometimes difficult. Yes, Gerard and the president made their demonstrations public, but I think that the rivals were also fighting important things like Athletic, Getafe … and they were the ones affected. This time, not only were we harmed, but I think we shouldn't look for so many excuses, but rather be self-critical and face reality."