Luis Suarez got emotional at a news conference on Thursday as he bade farewell to FC Barcelona. He revealed that he expected to leave the Catalan giants this summer and also said that he believes he can still play at the top level following his transfer to La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid.

The 33-year old Uruguayan striker wiped his tears as he prepared to leave Barca six years after he first arrived at Camp Nou.

During this time, he scored 198 goals in 283 appearances to become the third-highest goalscorer in the history of the club. In the process, Suarez helped his club win four La Liga titles, four Copas del Rey, one UEFA Champions League, and one FIFA Club World Cup. He had joined Barca from Liverpool in 2014 for a fee worth £74 million.

Despite his success with the Catalans, the new Barca boss, Ronald Koeman, informed Suarez last month that he wasn't in his plans for the upcoming season.

Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez Getty

According to the BBC, Suarez said, "I expected it because it had been said already before the coach told me but I can accept it. Players sometimes need a change, the club needed a change, and this case the coach didn't want me. I feel I'm capable of continuing to compete in this league. When Barca told me they weren't counting on me, there were many calls, many offers, but I was able to go to a team that can compete as equals with two great teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid."

According to reports, Atletico Madrid will pay a nominal fee of 6 million euros (£5.50 million) for the Uruguayan, which will depend on variables like the club's UEFA Champions League qualification. Accordingly, he has agreed on a two-year deal in exchange for a reduced salary. However, he refused to consider this a step down.

The 33-year old also denied that his relationship with Lionel Messi was no longer considered beneficial for the team. In fact, he mentioned that the relationship between him and the Argentine is as good as it can be.

View this post on Instagram

Ya me venía haciendo la idea pero hoy entré al vestuario y me cayó la ficha de verdad. Que difícil va a ser no seguir compartiendo el día a día con vos, tanto en las canchas como afuera. Los vamos a extrañar muchísimo. Fueron muchos años, muchos mates, comidas, cenas... Muchas cosas que nunca se van a olvidar, todos los días juntos. Va a ser raro verte con otra camiseta y mucho más enfrentarte. Te merecías que te despidan como lo que sos: uno de los jugadores más importantes de la historia del club, consiguiendo cosas importantes tanto en lo grupal como individualmente. Y no que te echen como lo hicieron. Pero la verdad que a esta altura ya no me sorprende nada. Te deseo todo lo mejor en este nuevo desafío. Te quiero mucho, los quiero mucho. Hasta pronto, amigo.

A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi) on

Following Suarez' exit, Messi posted an emotional message on Instagram.

Barcelona FC Atletico Madrid Lionel Messi Luis suarez