In the summer of 2017, Neymar shocked the world by leaving Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain. Until then, the Brazilian was part of one of the mightiest offensive trios in Europe alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, also known as MSN for the initials of each player.
In a conversation with Juan Pablo Varsky on his YouTube channel ‘Clank!’ the Uruguayan striker admitted that he and the Argentine star tried to convince Ney to stay.
“We were in the United States when he left. We told him it was a mistake to leave at that moment. If he had any chance of becoming the best in the world, it would be alongside Leo, who would make him better,” Suárez said. “He made the decision, respectable at the time. We, as friends, had to tell him, advise him. It was a very big void he left. We had to respect it. We tried everything, but it was difficult. We had conversations with him.”
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Luis Suárez fondly recalls his time playing next to Messi and Neymar
“It started in a game against Ajax. Leo had been playing as a false 9. Luis Enrique told Leo to play there, while Ney and I were behind, making diagonal runs,” Suárez recalled about the beginnings of the MSN. “Since we weren’t clicking, Leo said to me, ‘Fatso, stay as the 9, and I’ll move more to the right.’ There, Luis saw that we felt more comfortable. A coach like Luis had to make Leo feel comfortable, being the best in the world. Outside the field, the harmony with Leo and Ney continued. The relationship was spectacular between the three.
La 'MSN' divirtiéndose en Butarque. 🇦🇷🇺🇾🇧🇷
😍😍😍#BarçaLeganés pic.twitter.com/Aw1dKZ5W6w
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) January 19, 2019
“At that time, I had come from being a star at Liverpool, and with Leo and Ney, everyone wondered how the three of us would play together. And we showed that we were very supportive, friends, knowing that if each of us fulfilled our roles, we would make Barcelona great. I went to Barcelona, and I wasn’t going to, like in Liverpool, pass to two or three and take shots at the goal. I gave it to them to come up with something and make the difference. They saw that one was there to score goals, fight with the defense. Then, seeing that there was no selfishness, our teammates saw that. One day, if one of the three had a bad day, they were happy if the other two scored. In 2016, the entire Barcelona team helped me win the Golden Boot. They gave me penalties because I didn’t take them, respecting that they were there. I even scored from a free-kick, pushing it in. I will always be grateful to them for everything they did for me,” Suárez added.
