BARCELONA STRIKER LUIS Suarez has laughed off suggestions Granada’s players could be offered incentives by Real Madrid to raise their performance levels in this weekend’s La Liga climax.
Barca need to win at Granada to be sure of retaining their title with Madrid, who visit Deportivo La Coruna, heading into the final weekend a point adrift in second.
There has been no suggestion Madrid would even consider the thought of offering a maletines (briefcase) to Granada – LFP chief Javier Tebas also insisted “I believe Madrid will follow the rules and the Spanish rules do not allow any such ‘bonus’ payments” – with Suarez adamant their players will need no extra motivation to beat the dethroned European champions.
He told a news conference: “I don’t believe in this kind of thing, teams play for their own pride. Players always want to go out and win games.”
Asked if offering an incentive should be made legal, he added: “It’s not for me to give an opinion on legalising anything.
Every team wants to go out and win. All of the players know what they have to do. I had never heard of these things (briefcases)before coming to Spain.
“We want to win and Granada will want to end their season on a winning note.”
Suarez has scored 37 league goals this season, four more than Cristiano Ronaldo, but he insists winning the Pichichi Trophy would count for little if Barca blow the title on Saturday.
“I am happy that I have helped the team but winning the Pichichi and the Golden Shoe would mean nothing if we don’t win the league,” he said.
At Liverpool I won the Golden Shoe but we didn’t win the league.
“I am very proud of the work I am doing but the merit goes to the whole team.”
Barca are odds-on to complete the job at Los Carmenes and Suarez is pleased they do not have to rely on results from elsewhere.
“We aren’t dependent on other teams’ results,” he said.
We know we are the best team in the world but we are always under pressure. Our duty is always to go out and win.
“We know things depend on ourselves in the league. In the Copa del Rey final it depends on us and Sevilla.
“You always need to be mentally strong in football but the good thing is it depends on us. We have 90 minutes to win a game on which our whole season hangs but I believe we are in the right condition to win the game.”
