Barcelona receive slap in the face from rejected player

It was the last thing that FC Barcelona needed. Not only did they lose 0-2 to reigning La Liga title holders Atletico Madrid, one of the goal scorers just happened to be Luis Suarez.

The former Barcelona star not only helped Los Colchoneros to the title last season, he has now added insult to injury by finally scoring against the club that kicked him to the curb. It may be remembered that the Uruguay international was unceremoniously shown the door out of the Camp Nou last year. He has admitted openly that he was hurt by the way the Blaugrana treated him, but despite all that, he only had a muted celebration in front of the roaring crowd at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano.

It was another reminder to Barcelona fans that the club had made a lot of very wrong decisions in the past couple of years. When Suarez was sold, he said that club officials told him that they did not believe he still had what it takes to play at the highest level. Just a little over a year later, he is back scoring against that same club while also having already played a key role in his new club's league title.

On top of the Suarez goal, Barcelona dropped three crucial points. Before that match, they had been undefeated in La Liga. Now, they find themselves sitting in 9th place and five points behind leaders Real Madrid who still have a game in hand.

This comes at the heels of two consecutive 3-0 losses in the UEFA Champions League. Needless to say, Barcelona are on a steady downward spiral and they needed a win to start turning things around. The return of Ansu Fati proved to be a glimmer of hope in the victory against Levante last week, but that is now long forgotten and the Culers are back in full crisis mode.

Atletico Madrid were only worried about their own title hopes last night, with Thomas Lemar scoring the first goal and also providing Suarez with an assist. 34-year-old Suarez ran up close to the face of the goal and calmly slotted in with Marc-Andre ter Stegen being left with no choice but to watch the ball zip past him and into the back of the net.

Suarez then clasped his hands together in a gesture that seemed to be an apology to fans of his former club. It was a classy move, but he courted controversy after he put one hand against his ear as if holding a phone.

In a somewhat cryptic explanation during his post-match interview, he said. "It was for the people who know that I have the same number and that I am still using the same phone." According to Marca, He denied that he was aiming the gesture at embattled Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman, who left the Uruguay international out of his plans when he took over the club ahead of the previous season.