Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid: Luis Suarez returns to Camp Nou, Koeman misses out

FC Barcelona is reportedly preparing a big surprise to welcome Luis Suarez back to the Camp Nou on Saturday. However, the "warm" welcome will come ahead of what is expected to be a hotly contested match between the Catalans and Atletico Madrid, where Suarez found a new home following his controversial exit from Barcelona last summer.

The race for the LaLiga Santander title may very well be decided by the result of the match between leaders Atletico Madrid and FC Barcelona, who now sit just two points adrift alongside Real Madrid. It's a very important game for both sides, but it will likely be an emotional one for Suarez.

The Uruguayan was forced to make an exit last year after Ronald Koeman took over as manager and decided that his plans for the future do not include Suarez. The move led to a major implosion in the dressing room, one that almost resulted in the exit of captain Lionel Messi.

A player of Suarez's calibre did not have to wait long before he was snatched up by Atletico, who have benefitted from his services immensely this season. His 19 goals in the league have no doubt propelled them to the top of the table, a position which they have enjoyed for the majority of the 2020/21 season.

There wasn't much fanfare when Suarez left Barcelona, but the club is reportedly preparing to finally give him the tribute that he truly deserves after six highly successful years with the club.

Meanwhile, the coach who was instrumental in letting him go, Ronald Koeman, won't be on the bench on Saturday. According to Marca, the Spanish Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has decided to uphold the sanction that the Dutchman received following a red card he was shown in their match against Granada last week. This will be the completion of his two-game ban after having already missed Barcelona's win against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium.

Koeman will be allowed to be on the stands, and he will likely be passing on instructions to his assistant Alfred Schreuder, who will be on the sidelines.