Luis Suarez Will Be Persecuted if He Quits Liverpool for Barcelona, says Stoichkov

Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov believes Luis Suarez's recent bite scandal "will mark him for the rest of his life" and will be a major problem if the Uruguayan quits Liverpool for La Liga.

Suarez is expected to join Barcelona this summer after recent reports claimed the Catalans have already agreed a fee of around £63m with Liverpool to secure his services.

And even though Stoichkov considers Suarez a great signing, he believes he could struggle at the Nou Camp due to his divisive character.

"I have read about the transfer. He seems a terrific player to me, one of the best forwards, with the character required to play for the biggest clubs... but the bites are going to be a problem (for him at Barcelona)," Stoichkov told Sport.

"He is marked for the rest of his life. To play at Barca with what he has done is a problem. Every opponent and the referees and the press will make his life difficult. He will have to play with provocation and media attention, which will leave him in permanent tension."

Nevertheless, Stoichkov himself, who was a crucial part of Johan Cruyff's "dream team", was already famous for his on-pitch temper – receiving a two month ban for stamping on referee Urizar Azpitarte during his debut season with Barcelona in 1990.

"I made a mistake with the stamp on Urizar and what came afterwards was very hard. What is going to come to Luis Suarez will be the same. Opposition players will provoke you, they will look for violent reactions, try to get you out of the game.

"And if you are hot-blooded -- well, sometimes it takes a lot to control yourself. Plus, referees are more worried about your reaction than what they say to you. Every game is a psychological war. And then there is the journalism, which also puts on pressure so that you can make some good copy. It is not easy. You must be a bit special to live with that.

"It is clear that if he [Suarez] has bitten people three times there is something that is not working and must be sorted out. I know he has already worked on his aspect, and must keep doing it because at Barca he will have to live under pressure 24 hours a day and, of course, he cannot make that mistake again. Now, despite everything, he must be positive. His agent and the lawyers can work on his punishment. I believe it will be smaller in the end."